Aaron Sanderford
OMAHA — Nebraska’s May 14 primary election begins sooner than many voters think, and they are going to need an accepted ID to participate.
County election officials mailed out the first ballots Monday. In-person early voting at county offices starts April 15.
New this year is a Nebraska requirement to provide a driver’s license number or state ID number to apply for an early voting ballot. Or voters can include a photocopy of a driver’s license, state ID, passport, military ID, tribal ID, college ID or a few more options.
Secretary of State Bob Evnen praised election officials Monday in all 93 counties for educating voters on the process.
“They are ensuring every voter can cast their ballot securely and independently while adhering to the new voter ID law,” he said.
So far, Evnen’s office said, counties are reporting a “smooth process” in applying for early voting ballots.
No major hiccups yet
Local and statewide advocates for voting rights have also been generally positive about implementation so far. Nebraska voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment in 2022 requiring a photo ID to vote.
Civic Nebraska spokesman Steve Smith said the organization had heard no complaints yet. Civic Nebraska and other voting rights groups opposed proposals for voter ID as unnecessary and said it creates hurdles for voters of limited means and transportation.
Most voters are choosing to write down their driver’s license or state ID number on the ballot application, election officials said.
Thus far, the number of applications appears on pace to continue the long-term upward trajectory of early voting for a primary race.
As of Monday, officials were set to mail 105,000 early primary ballots to registered Nebraska voters, second only to the 121,000 in 2022, during a heated GOP gubernatorial primary election.
Most of those requests are driven by early ballots requested in the Omaha and Lincoln metro areas. Douglas County was sending 53,000 ballots Monday. Lancaster County was mailing out 15,000 Monday and another 10,000 Tuesday. Sarpy was sending 3,000 Monday and 500 Tuesday.
The 2020 primary election, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, saw a then-record 80,000 ballots mailed by early April.
Ballot follow-up calls, visits coming
Nebraska candidates and their campaigns are gearing up this week to chase those ballots — calling voters who requested early ballots to make sure they vote and return them.
Local political consultant Stephen Bader said he expects early voting to make up at least a third of the primary vote, if not more. Campaigns will be sending postcards and calling and texting voters.
They’ll also be advertising on social media and doing door-to-door canvassing to contact voters. Campaigns consider such follow-up efforts important in close races, Bader said.
Early voting ballots can still be requested from county election offices or a ballot request can be printed one out online and mailed in.
The Secretary of State’s Office has compiled an online list of county election office contacts for people who need help.
The Legislature’s Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee steered passage of Legislative Bill 514 last year, led by the committee chair, State Sen Tom Brewer.
Brewer, who represents north-central Nebraska, said at the time he wanted to give counties time to prepare for the change.
He declined to comment Monday on the progress on how the state law is being implemented. He has said voter ID was needed to help rebuild public confidence in the voting process and its results.