Lincoln, Nebraska, Prohibit Income Discrimination in Housing Initiative (May 2025)

Lincoln Prohibit Income Discrimination in Housing Initiative
Election date May 6, 2025
Topic Local housing
Status Approved
Type Initiative

Lincoln Prohibit Income Discrimination in Housing Initiative was on the ballot as an initiative in Lincoln on May 6, 2025. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported this initiative to prohibit discrimination based on income source in renting or buying a house.

A "no" vote opposed this initiative to prohibit discrimination based on income source in renting or buying a house.

A simple majority vote is required to approve the measure.

Election results

Lincoln Prohibit Income Discrimination in Housing Initiative
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		30,913	66.88%
No		15,311	33.12%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Prohibit Income Discrimination in Housing Initiative was as follows:

“

Shall Title 11 of the Lincoln Municipal Code (LMC) be amended to prohibit discrimination in renting or buying housing in the City of Lincoln on the basis of a person’s lawful source of income; to provide a definition of lawful source of income; to specify certain unlawful discriminatory acts; and to establish related administration and enforcement powers. Specifically: 1. Lawful source of income shall mean any lawful and verifiable source of money paid to or on behalf of a renter or buyer of housing, including any related program requirements. Lawful sources of income include but are not limited to: (1) Income from a lawful profession, occupation, or job; (2) Income derived from Social Security or any form of federal, state, or local public assistance or housing assistance, including a housing choice voucher issued pursuant to Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, whether or not such income is paid or attributed directly to a landlord, and even if such income includes additional federal, state, or local requirements; or (3) A pension, annuity, alimony, child support, foster care subsidies, or any other recurring, lawful, and verifiable monetary consideration or benefit. 2. Grant the Commission on Human Rights for the City of Lincoln the power to investigate complaints in housing based on lawful source of income, under LMC 11.02.040. 3. Prohibit as unlawful, under LMC 11.06.020 and 11.06.065: (1) the refusal to show, negotiate, receive an offer, or sell or rent a dwelling because of a person’s lawful source of income; (2) discrimination against any person in the terms and conditions of sale or rental of a dwelling because of a person’s lawful source of income; (3) the making, printing, or publishing of any notice or advertisement indicating preference, limitation or discrimination on the basis of a person’s lawful source of income; (4) representing to any person because of lawful source of income that any dwelling is not available for inspection, sale, or rental, when such dwelling is, in fact, available; (5) any written or oral inquiry or record concerning the lawful source of income of a person; (6) inducing or attempting to induce, for profit, any person to sell or rent any dwelling by representation regarding the entry or prospective entry into the neighborhood of a person with a particular lawful source of income; and (7) discrimination against any person, in making a residential real estate transaction available, or in the terms or condition of such a transaction because of a person’s lawful source of income. [ ] I vote FOR the ordinance amending Title 11 of the Lincoln Municipal Code. [ ] I vote AGAINST amending Title 11 of the Lincoln Municipal Code.

”

Path to the ballot

This measure was put on the ballot through a successful citizen petition.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Nebraska

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Nebraska.

How to vote in Nebraska

Poll times

In Nebraska, all polling locations are open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central Time and 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Mountain Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote. Nebraska is divided between Central and Mountain time zones.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Nebraska, each applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of the Nebraska county in which they are registering, and at least 18 years old by the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Citizens are eligible to register to vote on January 1 of the year they will turn 18 before the November general election. People convicted of a felony regain the right to vote upon completion on their sentence, including parole and probation. Individuals who have been declared mentally incompetent by a court are ineligible to register to vote. A voter registration application can be completed in person at the county clerk or election commissioner's office, the Department of Motor Vehicles, or other state agencies. In-person registration must be completed by the third Friday preceding the election if completed at the DMV or other state agencies. In-person registration at county election offices must be completed by 6 p.m. on the second Friday before the election. Applications returned by mail must be postmarked by the third Friday before the election. Online applications must be submitted by midnight on the third Friday before the election.

Automatic registration

Nebraska does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Nebraska has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website. The Nebraska State Senate enacted legislation allowing online voter registration in 2014, and the system was implemented in 2015.

Same-day registration

Nebraska does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

In Nebraska, citizens can register to vote the day they become residents of the state.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Nebraska does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, "any registrant who signs this application knowing that any of the information in the application is false shall be guilty of a Class IV felony under section 32-1502 of the statutes of Nebraska. The penalty for a Class IV felony is up to two years imprisonment and twelve months post-release supervision, a fine of up to $10,000.00, or both."

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Voter View site, run by the Nebraska Secretary of State’s office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Nebraska requires voters to present identification while voting.

The following were accepted forms of identification as of October 2025. Click here for the Nebraska Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

Voters can present the following documents:

• Nebraska driver's license
• Nebraska state ID
• Nebraska college ID
• Nebraska political subdivision ID (state, county, city, public school, etc.)
• Hospital, hospice, home and community-based developmental disabilities services agency, intermediate care facility, assisted-living facility or nursing home record
• Military ID
• Tribal ID
• U.S. Passport

Voters can get a free state identification card for voting purposes through the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles. Voters need to provide documentation confirming their identity and address. Voters who need a copy of their birth certificate to get a free state ID can get a free copy from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Vital Records.

See also

Local measures

• Local measures in 2025
• Local housing on the ballot

Nebraska

• Nebraska 2025 local measures
• Local ballot measures, Nebraska
• Lincoln, Nebraska

News and analysis

• State and local preemption conflicts
• Measures advancing national agendas