LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Two top Nebraska officials urged voters Wednesday not to give their ballot to an unfamiliar third party who promises to turn it in on their behalf.
Gov. Pete Ricketts and Secretary of State Bob Evnen warned that state law doesn't protect people who surrender their ballot to a third party, even if the recipient throws it away.
Ricketts and Evnen, both Republicans, said they don't know of any cases of abuse in Nebraska, but they pointed to recent claims of ballot harvesting in a U.S. House race in Minnesota.
"If you're going to have somebody else take your ballot in or put it in the mail, give it to a trusted person - a trusted relative or a close friend - not to third parties you don't really know," Evnen said at a news conference with the governor.
The issue has also surfaced as President Donald Trump raises unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud ahead of the November general election.
The practice sometimes referred to as "ballot harvesting" has long been used by special-interest groups and both major political parties. It's viewed either as a voter service that boosts turnout or a nefarious activity that subjects voters to intimidation and makes elections vulnerable to fraud.