Ballot access requirements for political parties in Nebraska
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Note: This article is not intended to serve as a guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact their state election agencies for further information.
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Although there are hundreds of political parties in the United States, only certain parties qualify to have the names of their candidates for office printed on election ballots. In order to qualify for ballot placement, a party must meet certain requirements that vary from state to state. For example, in some states, a party may have to file a petition in order to qualify for ballot placement. In other states, a party must organize around a candidate for a specific office; that candidate must, in turn, win a percentage of the vote in order for the party to be granted ballot status. In still other states, an aspiring political party must register a certain number of voters.
To learn more about ballot access requirements for political candidates in Nebraska, see this article.
Process for a political party to obtain ballot status
See statutes: Chapter 32, Sections 716 - 717 of the Nebraska Revised Statutes
New political parties must petition the Nebraska Secretary of State for recognition.[2]
The petition must contain signatures equaling at least 1% of the total votes cast for governor at the most recent general election. Further, according to state law, the "signatures of registered voters on such petitions shall be so distributed as to include registered voters totaling at least one percent of the votes cast for Governor in the most recent gubernatorial election in each of the three congressional districts in this state." [2]
If the party wishes to participate in the state primary, the petition must be submitted by January 15 of the election year. If the party wishes to participate in the general election, the petition must be submitted by July 15 of the election year.[2]
Prior to the circulation of petitions to form a new political party, a sample copy of the petitions must be filed with the secretary of state by the person, group, or association seeking to establish the new party. The sample petition must be accompanied by the name and address of the person or the names and addresses of the members of the group or association sponsoring the petition to form a new political party.[2]
The secretary of state must determine within 20 business days whether the petition is valid and sufficient. If so, the secretary of state will issue a certification establishing the new party. Within the next 20 days, the party must submit its constitution and bylaws, as well as a certified list of the names and addresses of the party's new officers.[3]
Once a party gains access to the ballot, it must continue to meet one of the following criteria to maintain access: either "the political party has at least ten thousand persons affiliated as indicated by voter registration records in Nebraska" or "at one of the two immediately preceding statewide general elections, (i) a candidate nominated by the political party polled at least five percent of the entire vote in the state in a statewide race or (ii) a combination of candidates nominated by the political party for a combination of districts that encompass all of the voters of the entire state polled at least five percent of the vote in each of their respective districts."[4]
Political parties
As of May 2024, there were four recognized political parties in Nebraska. These are listed in the table below. [5][6]
| Party | Website link | By-laws/platform link |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party of Nebraska | Link | Party overview |
| Legal Marijuana Now Party of Nebraska | Link | |
| Libertarian Party of Nebraska | Link | Party platform |
| No Labels Party of Nebraska | Link] | |
| Republican Party of Nebraska | Link | Party platform |
Historical events
2013
On November 20, 2013, Americans Elect requested that the Nebraska Secretary of State remove the party from qualified status in the state. First qualifying for state recognition in 2012, Americans Elect did not yield any candidates for office in Nebraska.[7][8]
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See also
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Nebraska
- Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Nebraska
- List of political parties in the United States
- Democratic Party of Nebraska
- Libertarian Party of Nebraska
- Republican Party of Nebraska
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "No Labels Nebraska Party gains official party recognition," accessed May 21, 2024
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Nebraska Legislature, "Nebraska Revised Statute 32-716," accessed July 8, 2025
- ↑ Nebraska Legislature, "Nebraska Revised Statute 32-717," accessed July 8, 2025
- ↑ Nebraska Legislature, "Nebraska Revised Statute 32-610," accessed July 8, 2025
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "How nonpartisan voting works in Nebraska primary elections," accessed May 2, 2024
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "No Labels Nebraska Party gains official party recognition," accessed May 21, 2024
- ↑ Omaha.com, "Without a single candidate to back, little-known political party calls it quits in Nebraska," December 3, 2013
- ↑ Ballot Access News, "Americans Elect removed from Nebraska ballot," December 3, 2013
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