Nebraska signature requirements
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Nebraska's signature requirements are calculated based on the number of registered voters on a list of Nebraska registered voters maintained by the Nebraska Secretary of State. Nebraska is the only state with initiative or referendum that bases the number of required signatures on the size of a list of registered voters, rather than on the number of votes cast in a recent statewide election.
A different percentage is required for a constitutional amendment, statute initiative, or veto referendum. The laws governing I&R in Nebraska provide for two different types of veto, or citizen, referendum. In one type, citizens can prevent a newly-enacted state law from going into effect. This requires a higher number of signatures.
The signature filing deadline for the November 2010 ballot is July 2, 2010.
Approximate signatures needed
The exact number of required signatures is based on the number of registered voters as of July 2, 2010, a figure that is unknowable during the period of a petition drive.
| Year | Amendment | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Approx. 117,000 | Approx. 82,000 |
Method of calculating signatures
- For an initiated constitutional amendment, Nebraska requires signatures equal to 10% of the number of registered voters as of the filing deadline.
- A statute initiative requires signatures equal to 7% of registered voters in signatures at the filing deadline.
- A veto referendum petition requires signatures equal to 5% of voters registered at the filing deadline.
- A veto referendum to suspend a law before it can go into effect must equal 10% of those registered to vote. To suspend a newly enacted law, the signatures must be collected and turned in within 90 days of the adjournment of the legislative session during which the statute was enacted. Otherwise, if the signatures are turned in by the ordinary statutory deadline (four months prior to an upcoming general election) but after the 90 day window for suspending a law, then (a) the law takes effect, (b) the law will be nullified after it has taken effect if it fails on the ballot and (c) fewer signatures are required than if the goal is to suspend the law before it goes into effect.
Registered voters list
The number of required signatures is based on the size of the list of registered voters as of the statutory, legal deadline for turning in signatures. This date is no later than four months prior to the general election at which the proposed ballot measure will appear on the ballot. The allowable circulation period for initiatives in Nebraska is one year. If the sponsors of an initiative circulate a petition and turn it in before the legal deadline-even well before the legal deadline--the number of required signatures is still based on the size of the list of registered voters as of the legal deadline, not as of the date the signatures were filed with the Secretary of State.
Because of this provision in Nebraska law, it is not possible for the government to determine whether a petition filed early has enough signatures. They have to wait until the statutory deadline for filing signatures has passed, because not until then are they able to determine the number of signatures that are legally required.
Geographic distribution
- A threshold number of signatures must be collected in 40% of Nebraska's counties, which comes to 38 counties. See distribution requirement.
See also
- Laws governing the initiative process in Nebraska
- Campaign finance requirements for Nebraska ballot measures
References
- How to use the Initiative and Referendum Process in Nebraska from the Secretary of State
- NCSL signature chart for 2008
- Nebraska signature requirements collated by the Citizens in Charge Foundation
