Nebraska Initiative 429, Authorize Laws for Gambling at Racetracks Amendment (2020)

Nebraska Initiative 429
Election date November 3, 2020
Topic Gambling
Status a Approved
Type Constitutional amendment	Origin Citizens
List of Nebraska measuresNebraska Amendment 1Nebraska Amendment 2Nebraska Initiative 428Nebraska Initiative 429Nebraska Initiative 430Nebraska Initiative 431Submit

Nebraska Initiative 429, the Authorize Laws for Gambling at Racetracks Amendment, was on the ballot in Nebraska as an initiated constitutional amendment on November 3, 2020. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported amending the Nebraska Constitution to allow laws that authorize, regulate, and tax gambling at licensed racetrack facilities in the state. Together, Initiatives 429, 430, and 431 would allow, authorize and regulate, and tax gambling at licensed racetracks.

A "no" vote opposed amending the Nebraska Constitution to allow laws that authorize, regulate, and tax gambling at licensed racetrack facilities in the state, thus maintaining the state's prohibition against gambling at racetracks.

Election results

Nebraska Initiative 429
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		588,405	65.04%
No		316,298	34.96%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Overview

How did Initiative 429 change the status of gambling in Nebraska?

See also: Text of measure

Initiative 429 added a new section section 24 of Article III of the state constitution to exempt laws authorizing gambling at licensed racetracks from the state's constitutional prohibition on gambling. At the time of the election, the Nebraska Constitution prohibited gambling, except for the state lottery, which was authorized with the passage of Amendment 1a in 1992, and authorized raffles intended to raise proceeds for charitable causes. At the time of the election, revenue raised from the lottery was allocated to the Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund, the Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund, the Nebraska State Fair Board, and the legislature to fund education.

Initiative 429 allowed for the enactment of Initiative 430, which authorized and regulated gambling at licensed racetracks, and Initiative 431, which impose an annual tax of 20% on gross gambling revenue of licensed gaming operators.

How did the amendment get on the ballot?

See also: Path to the ballot

Initiative 429 was filed with two initiated state statutes—Initiative 430 and Initiative 431—by Keep the Money in Nebraska. Initiative 430 enacted a law that authorizes gambling operations within licensed racetracks and establish the Nebraska Gaming Commission to regulate gambling operations. Initiative 431 imposed an annual tax of 20% on gross gambling revenue of licensed gaming operators.

The campaign submitted approximately 470,000 signatures for the three petitions. On August 25, 2020, Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen (R) announced that the initiatives did not qualify for the ballot after receiving written objections to the ballot language of the petitions despite submitting the required number of valid signatures. The campaign appealed the decision to the Nebraska Supreme Court. On September 10, the Court ordered the initiatives to be placed on the ballot reversing the secretary's determination that the petitions violated the state's single-subject rule.

What was the status of gambling across the U.S.?

See also: Status of gambling across the U.S.

As of October 2020, gambling in some form was legal in 48 of the 50 states, with Utah and Hawaii completely banning it. Twenty-five states have legalized commercial gaming, and 30 states have authorized tribal casinos.

Three states voted on four measures concerning gambling in November. Colorado Amendment 77 allowed local jurisdictions where gambling is legal to approve a maximum single bet limit of any amount and expand allowable game types in addition to slot machines, blackjack, poker, roulette, and craps. Colorado Amendment C would have lowered the number of years an organization must have existed before obtaining a charitable gaming license from five years to three years. Maryland Question 2 authorized sports and events wagering at certain licensed facilities with state revenue intended to fund public education. South Dakota Constitutional Amendment B authorized the South Dakota State Legislature to legalize sports betting within the city limits of Deadwood.

Text of measure

Ballot question

The ballot question was as follows:

“

Shall the Nebraska Constitution be amended to state that laws may be enacted to allow for the licensing, authorization, taxation and regulation of all forms of games of chance to be conducted by authorized gaming operators within licensed racetrack enclosures in Nebraska? [ ] For [ ] Against

”

Ballot summary

The ballot summary was as follows:

“

A vote 'FOR' will amend the Nebraska Constitution to state that laws may be enacted to provide for the authorization, regulation, and taxation of all forms of games of chance to be conducted by licensees within licensed racetrack enclosures in Nebraska. A vote 'AGAINST' will not cause the Nebraska Constitution to be amended in such manner.

”

Object statement

The object statement was as follows:

“

The object of this petition amends the Nebraska Constitution to state that laws may be enacted allowing for the licensing, authorization, taxation, and regulation of all forms of games of chance to be conducted by authorized gaming operators within licensed racetrack enclosures in the state.

”

Constitutional changes

See also: Article III, Nebraska Constitution

Initiative 429 amended section 24 of Article III of the state constitution. The following underlined text was added, and struck-through text was deleted: Note: Hover over the text and scroll to see the full text.

Text of Section 24: Games of Chance, Lotteries, and Gift Enterprises; Restrictions; Parimutuel Wagering on Horseraces; Bingo Games; Use of State Lottery Proceeds

(1) Except as provided in this section, the Legislature shall not authorize any game of chance or any lottery or gift enterprise when the consideration for a chance to participate involves the payment of money for the purchase of property, services, or a chance or admission ticket or requires an expenditure of substantial effort or time.

(2) The Legislature may authorize and regulate a state lottery pursuant to subsection (3) of this section and other lotteries, raffles, and gift enterprises which are intended solely as business promotions or the proceeds of which are to be used solely for charitable or community betterment purposes without profit to the promoter of such lotteries, raffles, or gift enterprises.

(3)

(a) The Legislature may establish a lottery to be operated and regulated by the State of Nebraska. The proceeds of the lottery shall be appropriated by the Legislature for the costs of establishing and maintaining the lottery and for the following purposes, as directed by the Legislature: (i) The first five hundred thousand dollars after the payment of prizes and operating expenses shall be transferred to the Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund; (ii) Forty-four and one-half percent of the money remaining after the payment of prizes and operating expenses and the initial transfer to the Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund shall be transferred to the Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund to be used as provided in the Nebraska Environmental Trust Act; (iii) Forty-four and one-half percent of the money remaining after the payment of prizes and operating expenses and the initial transfer to the Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund shall be used for education as the Legislature may direct; (iv) Ten percent of the money remaining after the payment of prizes and operating expenses and the initial transfer to the Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund shall be transferred to the Nebraska State Fair Board if the most populous city within the county in which the fair is located provides matching funds equivalent to ten percent of the funds available for transfer. Such matching funds may be obtained from the city and any other private or public entity, except that no portion of such matching funds shall be provided by the state. If the Nebraska State Fair ceases operations, ten percent of the money remaining after the payment of prizes and operating expenses and the initial transfer to the Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund shall be transferred to the General Fund; and (v) One percent of the money remaining after the payment of prizes and operating expenses and the initial transfer to the Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund shall be transferred to the Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund. (b) No lottery game shall be conducted as part of the lottery unless the type of game has been approved by a majority of the members of the Legislature. (4) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit (a) the enactment of laws providing for the licensing and regulation of wagering on the results of horseraces, wherever run, either within or outside of the state, by the parimutuel method, when such wagering is conducted by licensees within a licensed racetrack enclosure or (b) the enactment of laws providing for the licensing and regulation of bingo games conducted by nonprofit associations which have been in existence for a period of five years immediately preceding the application for license, except that bingo games cannot be conducted by agents or lessees of such associations on a percentage basis.

(5) This section shall not apply to any law which is enacted contemporaneously with the adoption of this subsection or at any time thereafter and which provides for the licensing, authorization, regulation, or taxation of all forms of games of chance when such games of chance are conducted by authorized gaming operators within a licensed racetrack enclosure.

Full text

The full text of the measure is available here.

Readability score

See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2020

Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, Ballotpedia scored the readability of the ballot title and summary for this measure. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. The Flesch-Kincaid formulas account for the number of words, syllables, and sentences in a text; they do not account for the difficulty of the ideas in the text. The secretary of state wrote the ballot language for this measure. The FKGL for the ballot title is grade level 12, and the FRE is 34. The word count for the ballot title is 44, and the estimated reading time is 11 seconds. The FKGL for the ballot summary is grade level 15, and the FRE is 35. The word count for the ballot summary is 56, and the estimated reading time is 14 seconds.

Support

Keep The Money In Nebraska led the campaign in support of Initiative 429.

Supporters

Candidates

• Janet Palmtag (Nonpartisan) - Candidate for Nebraska State Senate

Corporations

• Ho-Chunk, Inc.

Unions

• The Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association

Arguments

• Mike Newlin, general manager of Horsemen’s Park and Lincoln Race Course: "[If this measure passes], we'd finally be able to reap the rewards that we've been giving our neighbor states in entertainment and gambling dollars. The overall impact is not only the tax revenue but the jobs that would be created. The ancillary work that would come with casino gambling, increased horse racing, and things like that will have a huge economic effect."
• Lance Morgan, chief executive officer of Ho-Chunk Inc.: "Given the fact that rural Nebraska—rural America really—is really struggling in a lot of ways, I think it'll be great for the rural economy."

Official arguments

• Initiative Measures Pamphlet: "Initiative 429 will legalize casino gaming at licensed horse racing tracks in the state. More than 70% of Nebraskans live within 60 miles of an out-of-state casino, and Nebraskans currently spend nearly $400 million at those casinos each year. In-state gaming will provide an opportunity to keep that money in Nebraska and positively impact our economy by more than $320 million each year. This initiative will create more than 4,600 jobs statewide, including many in rural areas to support the resulting expansion of the horse racing industry. This initiative will not automatically allow for the expansion of Indian casinos on tribal lands as those are regulated on a federal level, and an agreement would also have to be reached with the governor."

Opposition

Gambling with the Good Life led the campaign in opposition to the Initiative 429.

Opponents

Officials

• Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts (R)

Former Officials

• Former Nebraska governor David Heineman (R)
• Former U.S. senator Mike Johanns (R)
• Former U.S. senator Bob Kerrey (D)
• Former Nebraska governor Kay Orr
• Former U.S. representative Tom Osborne

Arguments

• Nate Grasz, policy director for the Nebraska Family Alliance: "Casinos create more gambling addicts than jobs, drain money from their host communities and increase social costs that are paid for by all taxpayers. The last thing we need right now is for casinos to worsen the heartaches and financial burdens that are being placed on Nebraska families and businesses."
• Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts (R): "There are all sorts of social problems that come along with expanding gambling, which is why Nebraskans have historically rejected expanding gambling here in the state. I certainly support rejecting expanded gambling and would encourage other Nebraskans to support rejecting it as well."
• Pat Loontjer, executive director of Gambling with the Good Life: "It's very deceptive because they're gonna say this is going to help property tax. That's a lie. But sometimes, when you hear the lie long enough, you're going to believe it. It's not going to give anything for property tax relief."

Official arguments

• Initiative Measures Pamphlet: "With this change to Nebraska’s Constitution, casino-style gaming will not be limited to just licensed racetracks in Nebraska. This initiative, along with existing federal law, will legalize casino gambling of all types not only at racetracks but also on all tribal lands throughout Nebraska. Nebraskans and their elected officials will have no regulatory control or power of taxation over these Indian casinos. There will be no local control over this gambling. All games of chance will be legal, including online slot machines and table games from laptops and cellphones anywhere in Nebraska, 24 hours a day, with little to no regulatory oversight or safeguards. Problem gamblers and minors could have access to gambling with no safeguards."

Campaign finance

See also: Campaign finance requirements for Nebraska ballot measures

The campaign finance information on this page reflects the most recent scheduled reports that Ballotpedia has processed, which covered through January 12, 2021.

One political action committee was registered in support of Initiative 429. Keep the Money in Nebraska raised a total of $7.3 million in cash and in-kind contributions. Two political action committees were registered in opposition to Initiative 430. Gambling with the Good Life and Keep the Good Life, Inc. reported receiving over $2.1 million.

	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Support	$6,159,100.00	$1,169,486.81	$7,328,586.81	$6,158,174.47	$7,327,661.28
Oppose	$2,180,418.00	$0.00	$2,180,418.00	$1,929,227.27	$1,929,227.27
Total	$8,339,518.00	$1,169,486.81	$9,509,004.81	$8,087,401.74	$9,256,888.55

Support

The following were contribution and expenditure totals for the committee in support of Initiative 429.

Committees in support of Initiative 429
Committee	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Keep the Money in Nebraska	$6,159,100.00	$1,169,486.81	$7,328,586.81	$6,158,174.47	$7,327,661.28
Total	$6,159,100.00	$1,169,486.81	$7,328,586.81	$6,158,174.47	$7,327,661.28

Donors

The following is a list of the top donors that contributed to Keep the Money in Nebraska:

Donor	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions
Ho-Chunk, Inc.	$5,859,100.00	$814,429.38	$6,673,529.38
Battleaxe Digital	$0.00	$400,000.00	$400,000.00
NE Horsemens & Benevolent Protective Association	$200,000.00	$0.00	$200,000.00
Omaha Exposition & Racing Inc.	$100,000.00	$0.00	$100,000.00
The Lamar Companies	$0.00	$4,400.00	$4,400.00

Opposition

The following were contribution and expenditure totals for the committee in opposition to Initiative 429.

Committees in support of Initiative 429
Committee	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Keep the Good Life, Inc.	$1,985,000.00	$0.00	$1,985,000.00	$1,645,334.00	$1,645,334.00
Gambling with the Good Life	$195,418.00	$0.00	$195,418.00	$283,893.27	$283,893.27
Total	$2,180,418.00	$0.00	$2,180,418.00	$1,929,227.27	$1,929,227.27

Top donors

The following is a list of the top donors that contributed to the committees opposing Initiative 430:

Donor	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions
Collective Prosperity	$1,735,000.00	$0.00	$1,735,000.00
Pete Ricketts	$350,000.00	$0.00	$350,000.00
Archdiocese of Omaha	$15,000.00	$0.00	$15,000.00
Cornhusker Bank	$10,000.00	$0.00	$10,000.00
Paul and Lori Hogan	$10,000.00	$0.00	$10,000.00
Tom Osborne	$5,000.00	$0.00	$5,000.00

Methodology

To read Ballotpedia's methodology for covering ballot measure campaign finance information, click here.

Media editorials

See also: 2020 ballot measure media endorsements

Ballotpedia identified the following media editorial boards as taking positions on the ballot measure. If you are aware of a media editorial board position that is not listed below, please email the editorial link to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Support

• The Sioux City Journal Editorial Board: "Tens of thousands of Nebraskans are already playing slot machines and table games -- only they're doing it in other states. Each year, they leave behind around $400 million alone just across the border in Iowa. The tax revenue derived from that wagering could instead be staying in the Cornhusker state to help fund state and local governments, reduce property taxes and pay for counseling for problem gamblers. That's why we support three measures that will appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot."
• Lincoln Journal Star Editorial Board: "Under the terms of the initiative, $45 million of the $65 million the state is estimated to receive from casinos would be devoted to property tax relief. Horse racetracks now operate in or near Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, Sioux City, Columbus and Hastings. It is likely more tracks and casinos would open across the state if the initiative is approved. Those casinos will predominantly keep gamblers in the state, not dramatically increase the number of gamblers and the amount wagered by Nebraskans. That money, however, will remain in the state and will benefit the entire citizenry, which is why we recommend a 'yes' vote.
• The Grand Island Independent Editorial Board: "It’s reasonable to believe that if there are casinos in our state, Nebraskans will stay here, rather than spending their money in Iowa or any of the surrounding states. That will help fund property tax relief, provide additional funding to counties and pay for problem gamblers assistance in Nebraska because another of the three initiatives provides for a 20% tax on gross gambling revenue of licensed operators. From that tax revenue, 70% would go to property tax relief, 25% would go to counties, 2.5% would go to problem gambler assistance and 2.5% would go to the state general fund. Supporters estimate the state would receive $65 million, with $45 million going to property tax relief annually. ... Vote FOR Initiatives 429, 430 and 431."
• Omaha World-Herald Editorial Board: "From our offices in downtown Omaha, we can see Harrah’s, one of three Council Bluffs casinos that together brought in more than $400 million in gross revenue in fiscal 2019. Unless casinos are in a tourism destination, they rely on bettors from the nearest population center, meaning that Nebraskans are subsidizing Iowa tax relief, infrastructure, environmental programs, problem gambler assistance and more. ... We urge Nebraskans to vote FOR Initiatives 429, 430 and 431."

Opposition

Ballotpedia had not identified media editorial boards in opposition to the ballot measure.

Background

Status of gambling across the U.S.

As of September 2020, gambling in some form was legal in 48 of the 50 states, with Utah and Hawaii completely banning it. In 2019, total gross commercial gambling revenue across the 989 commercial and tribal casinos was $77.3 billion, and $40.8 billion was paid in gaming taxes at the state and local levels. Twenty-five states have legalized commercial gaming, and 30 states have authorized tribal casinos.

The following chart contains the gross gaming revenue, the tax rate on gross gaming revenue, the amount of taxes raised, and the number of casinos in the states bordering Nebraska. Wyoming also borders Nebraska, but it did not have commercial gambling as of September 2020. Wyoming does have four tribal casinos.

Horse racing in Nebraska

In March 1935, pari-mutuel wagering was legalized in Nebraska and the Nebraska State Racing Commission was established. Pari-mutuel wagering is the practice of wagering against all participants rather than the racetrack. The total amount of money wagered on a winning horse is divided evenly among the participants that placed bets on that horse. As of 2020, there were six licensed racetracks in Nebraska, namely Atokad Downs, Columbus Races, Fair Play Park, Fonner Park, Horsemen’s Park, and Lincoln Race Course. The racetracks are licensed through the Nebraska State Racing Commission.

2016 proposed gambling initiatives

In 2016, Keep the Money in Nebraska sponsored three initiatives that would together legalize, regulate, and tax gambling at horse racetracks. The campaign submitted over 310,000 for the three initiative petitions. The initiatives did not qualify for the ballot after the Nebraska Secretary of State rejected about 40,000 of the submitted signatures during the verification process. The campaign filed a lawsuit against the petitioning company they contracted with to collect signatures, Northstar Campaign Systems, arguing that the company was responsible for the high error rate.

Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund

The Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund was established in 1993 by state law and receives funds from the State Lottery Operation Trust Fund and the Charitable Gaming Operations Fund. The stated goal of the fund is to provide "assistance to agencies, groups, organizations, and individuals that provide education, assistance, and counseling to individuals and families experiencing difficulty as a result of problem gambling, to promote the awareness of problem gamblers assistance programs, and to pay the costs and expenses of the Gamblers Assistance Program." According to the Nebraska Lottery's website, the fund had nearly $17.7 million as of July 2020.

Gambling on the ballot in 2020

• a Colorado Amendment 77: Amendment 77 would allow voters in Central, Black Hawk, and Cripple Creek Cities — the only towns where gaming is legal in Colorado — to (1) approve a maximum single bet limit of any amount and (2) expand allowable game types in addition to slot machines, blackjack, poker, roulette, and craps.
• d Colorado Amendment C: Amendment C would amend the state constitution to lower the number of years an organization must have existed before obtaining a charitable gaming license from five years to three years and to allow charitable organizations to hire managers and operators of gaming activities so long as they are not paid more than the minimum wage.
• a Maryland Question 2: The measure would authorize sports and events wagering at certain licensed facilities with state revenue intended to fund public education.
• a South Dakota Constitutional Amendment B: The amendment would amend the state constitution to authorize the South Dakota State Legislature to legalize sports betting within the city limits of Deadwood, South Dakota, with all net municipal proceeds (defined) dedicated to the Deadwood Historic Restoration and Preservation Fund.

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing the initiative process in Nebraska

In Nebraska, the number of signatures required to qualify an initiated constitutional amendment for the ballot is equal to 10 percent of registered voters as of the deadline for filing signatures. Because of the unique signature requirement based on registered voters, Nebraska is also the only state where petition sponsors cannot know the exact number of signatures required until they are submitted. Nebraska law also features a distribution requirement mandating that petitions contain signatures from 5 percent of the registered voters in each of two-fifths (38) of Nebraska's 93 counties.

Signatures must be submitted at least four months prior to the next general election. Signatures do not roll over and become invalid after the next general election at least four months after the initial initiative application filing. Depending on when the initiative application is filed, petitioners can have up to just under two years to circulate petitions.

The requirements to get an initiated constitutional amendment certified for the 2020 ballot:

• Signatures: 122,274
• Deadline: The deadline to submit signatures was July 2, 2020.

Signatures are submitted to the secretary of state. The secretary of state sends the appropriate signature petitions to each county, where county election officials verify the signatures. Upon receiving the signatures back from county officials, the secretary of state determines whether or not the requirements were met.

Stages of this initiative

• Lynne Schuller filed this initiative on July 1, 2019, on behalf of Keep The Money In Nebraska; Ho-Chunk, Inc.; the Nebraska Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association; and Omaha Exposition & Racing, Inc.
• On July 2, 2020, Keep the Money in Nebraska announced that they had submitted 200,000 signatures to the Nebraska Secretary of State.
  • According to the July 2020 voter registration report, there were a total of 1,222,741 registered voters in Nebraska at the time of the state's signature deadline. This means that a total of 122,274 valid signatures were required to qualify this initiative for the ballot.
• On August 25, 2020, the Nebraska Secretary of State announced that the initiative did not qualify for the ballot because "the language of the Constitutional Initiative is likely to mislead voters into thinking that they are voting for an initiative that would prohibit the conduct of games of chance anywhere but at racetracks. ... Were the Constitutional Initiative to be adopted, however, gambling would not be limited to racetracks." The secretary further explained that "the Constitutional Initiative effectively puts forth dual proposals: (1) authorizing expanded gambling at tribal casinos and (2) authorizing expanded gambling at racetracks by authorized operators. But the first proposal is hidden from the voters and impossible to ascertain from the text of the proposal. Putting forth dual propositions in a single proposal violates the single-subject rule as it does not permit voters to express a clear preference on dual propositions." The other two initiatives filed with this initiative also did not qualify for the ballot.
  • The same day Evnen announced his decision, the Nebraska Supreme Court agreed to hear the sponsor's appeal of Evnen's decision. In the sponsor's court filing, they argued that the secretary's decision was "incorrect as a matter of law because each of the three initiatives meets the applicable requirements of the Nebraska Constitution as to form and procedure." The court heard oral arguments on September 2.
  • On September 10, 2020, the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled in favor of the petitioners and ordered the secretary of state to place the three initiatives on the November ballot. The Court concluded that the three initiatives did not violate the single-subject rule as argued by the secretary of state and also disagreed with the logrolling argument. The Court said, " We conclude that in response to our alternative writ, the Secretary has not shown cause why either the Constitutional Initiative, the Regulatory Initiative, or the Tax Initiative should not be placed on the ballot." The full opinion can be read here.

Cost of signature collection:
Sponsors of the measure hired National Ballot Access and Taylor Policy Group Inc. to collect signatures for the petition to qualify this measure for the ballot. A total of $679,260.60 was spent to collect the 122,274 valid signatures required to put this measure before voters, resulting in a total cost per required signature (CPRS) of $5.56.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Nebraska

Click "Show" to learn more about voter registration, identification requirements, and poll times in Nebraska.

How to cast a vote in Nebraska

The information below covers regular voting policies in the state. Information may have not applied to the election on November 3, 2020, because of temporary changes in response to coronavirus. Click here to read about changes made for the 2020 elections. 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 requirements 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. 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. Initiative 432, approved by Nebraska voters in November 2022, amended Article I of the state constitution to require voters to present valid photo identification in order to vote. Governor Jim Pillen (R) signed Legislative Bill 514 into law on June 1, 2023, in order to implement this policy change. Due to this legislation, Nebraska's voter ID requirement went into effect on April 1, 2024, in time for the state's 2024 primary.

See also

2020 measures

• 2020 ballot measures
• Gambling on the ballot

Nebraska

• Nebraska ballot measures
• Nebraska ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• Initiative petition full text
• 2020 Initiative Informational Pamphlet

Support

• Keep the Money in Nebraska campaign website
• Keep the Money in Nebraska Facebook page
• Keep the Money in Nebraska Twitter page

Opposition

• Gambling with the Good Life campaign website
• Gambling with the Good Life Facebook page