Beginning today, county election offices are mailing early voting ballots to voters who completed early voting applications and fulfilled the new voter ID requirement.
County election offices are reporting that the majority of voters are following the voter ID requirement. Voters have two options to fulfill the new voter ID requirement during the early voting application process:
- Voters can write their Nebraska driver’s license or state ID number on their early voting application, OR
- Voters can submit their early voting application with a photocopy of their acceptable ID.
Most voters are choosing to write their Nebraska driver’s license or state ID number on their early voting applications. Election workers are assisting voters who have not properly submitted their early voting applications.
“Nebraskans overwhelmingly understood the new voter ID law in the primary election,” Secretary of State Bob Evnen said. “We’ll be working through Election Day to ensure Nebraskans don’t encounter issues when they cast their ballot.”
Registered Nebraska voters can still request an early voting ballot by sending their early voting application to their county election office. October 25 is the last day a voter can request an early voting ballot be sent to them.
Early voting ballots are due back to the voter’s respective county election office by the close of polls (8 p.m. Central Time/7 p.m. Mountain Time) on Election Day, November 5. County election offices will not accept late ballots, even if the postmark date is before the election.
Voter ID
Voters must present an acceptable photo ID before voting. Acceptable IDs include, but are not limited to:
- Nebraska driver’s license
- Nebraska state ID
- U.S. passport
- Military ID
- Tribal ID
- Hospital, intermediate care facility, assisted-living facility or nursing home record
- Nebraska political subdivision ID (state, county, city, school, etc.)
- Nebraska college or university ID (public or private)
The ID must have the voter’s name and photo. IDs can be expired. The new law does not require Nebraska voters to re-register to vote.
Nebraskans can get a free state ID from the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). If the person was born in Nebraska and needs a free certified copy of their Nebraska birth certificate to get a free state ID, they can contact the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). A birth certificate is not a valid form of voter ID.
Voter ID educational material is available in English and Spanish at voterID.nebraska.gov.
What’s next?
October 7 – First day for early voting at county election offices.
October 18 – Deadline to register to vote online (by midnight), by mail (postmarked by Oct. 18), at a state agency (DMV, DHHS, Dept. of Ed.), via deputy registrar or via personal agent.
October 25 – Deadline to register to vote at county election offices (by 6pm local time).
October 25 – Deadline to request an early voting ballot be mailed.
November 4 – Last day to vote early at a county election office.
November 5 – Election Day. Polls open at 8am CT/7am MT and close at 8pm CT/7pm MT. Early ballots due back to county election offices by the close of polls.