Nebraska voters will soon have their say on pivotal issues as ballots for the upcoming November election are now finalized. On Friday, Secretary of State Bob Evnen confirmed the list of candidates and measures that will appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.
“County election offices and the Elections Division have done an excellent job verifying petitions and ensuring candidates were properly filed so that we could certify the general election ballot on time,” stated Evnen. He expressed confidence that all necessary checks were duly completed, despite facing an unusually high number of challenges this year.
The certification process followed a period marked by allegations of fraud and legal disputes over the inclusion of certain candidates and petition initiatives on the ballot.
Currently, three statewide initiatives are under scrutiny due to a significant number of potentially fraudulent signatures. These include two measures aimed at the legalization of online sports gambling and another initiative proposing a constitutional ban on transgender sports participation. The Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers and Lancaster County authorities are investigating these issues, along with three charter amendments in Lincoln.
The initiative regarding transgender sports participation is also pending a legal challenge, with the Nebraska Supreme Court scheduled to hear arguments on September 30.
Beyond these initiatives, Nebraska’s electorate will vote on a constitutional amendment that seeks to extend term limits for state lawmakers from two consecutive terms to three.
It is important to note that the ballot certification pertains only to statewide candidates and measures, excluding local issues such as Lincoln’s charter amendments or Douglas County bond issues.
Key dates for Nebraskans include October 16 as the deadline to register online, by mail, or through state agencies like the DMV, DHHS, and Department of Education. The cutoff for in-person registration at county election offices is October 20, with early voting available from October 5 to November 2.
