NLC: What is the current status of the youth election judges bill in Wyoming?will there be youth election judges in the upcoming election?

Caitlyn: The bill was passed by the Wyoming state legislature last year, and there are currently about 17 young people in Casper signed up to serve as election judges this year. YEC members are also making presentations throughout the area, encouraging neighboring communities to recruit youth election judges.

NLC: What are the responsibilities of youth election judges, are they excused from school, and do they receive any compensation for their work?

Caitlyn: Youth election judges have all the same duties as adult election judges. They are excused from school?their work is counted as a school activity?and they are paid the same amount as adult election judges.

NLC: How did the idea for the youth election judges begin, and who was involved?

Caitlyn: A YEC member came up with the idea after learning that other states had youth election judges. At this point, we looked at the bills that other states had written, and made it our own with help from adult community members with experience in this.

NLC: What was it like working on the bill itself?

Caitlyn: We worked with county officials, who helped us get the wording right. Bills are written [by the Legislative Service Office] in a very different language, so we needed to think and speak differently than we were used to.

NLC: Did you work on building community support for the bill, and if so, how?

Caitlyn: We worked a lot with the county clerk and our state legislators to build support?these officials were really helpful and receptive to our ideas.  We had financial  support from our sponsors: the City of Casper, Natrona County School District #1, and the Wyoming Medical Center #1.

NLC: What was it like working with state-level officials? How did it compare with the rest of the work you?ve done with YEC?

Caitlyn: About seven or eight of us made a presentation to a working committee of the state legislature, to lobby for our bill.  It was exciting, because we were in the room with all of these big-gun lobbyists, talking to the representatives to try to make them see things our way.

NLC: Would this experience make you want to be a professional lobbyist?

Caitlyn: It was fun trying to get the representatives to see my point of view, but I don?t think I?d go into it professionally.

NLC: Why is it important to have youth election judges? Do you think anything might change in the community as a result?

Caitlyn: The major benefit is in getting youth involved [in the political process], so they realize everyone?s vote really does count. I think that after the first election day, we?ll see a positive change in the community?s view of youth.

NLC: What?s the usual work of the YEC like?

Caitlyn: We focus on helping youth help themselves?on finding needs and meeting them.  Recently, we?ve started a suicide prevention awareness team (SPAT), helped to open a new skate park, launched an essay contest addressing diversity, and hosted a drug and alcohol free teen pirate swim night. YEC?s first focus is to make the voices of young people heard, and over the years, we?ve started getting out in the community more, expanding to improve our entire community. Hopefully, we can be statewide at some point?we?ve started to spread out a bit by making presentations about the YEC in other counties.

NLC: Will you be serving as an election judge this November?

Caitlyn: Yes, I will.

NLC: We?d love to get an update from you after the elections!

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Check back soon for more news and updates fom the Casper Youth Empowerment Council, as they see what it's like to work as election judges for the first time. Have your own voting story? Tell us about it.

For questions or more information about this story, send a note to Colleen at fellow@nlc.org.