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Nebraska state legislative primaries, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 19
- Early voting: Oct. 9 - Nov. 5
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: No
- Poll times: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central Time and 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Mountain Time
| 2018 Nebraska State Senate elections | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General | November 6, 2018 |
| Primary | May 15, 2018 |
| 2018 elections | |
|---|---|
| Choose a chamber below: | |
The nonpartisan primary elections for seats in the Nebraska State Senate were on May 15, 2018. The general election was on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 1, 2018. In the state Senate, 24 of 49 seats were up for election.
Incumbents who did not advance to the general election
Retiring incumbents
Eight state Senate incumbents did not seek re-election in 2018:
- Burke Harr (District 8)
- Bob Krist (District 10)
- Jim Smith (District 14)
- Lydia Brasch (District 16)
- Paul Schumacher (District 22)
- Roy Baker (District 30)
- John Kuehn (District 38)
- Tyson Larson (District 40)
Partisan control
The tables below show the partisan breakdown of the Nebraska State Senate as of July 2018:
Nebraska State Senate
| Party | As of July 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 16 | |
| Republican Party | 30 | |
| Independent | 1 | |
| Libertarian Party | 1 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 49 | |
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. In Nebraska, a top-two primary system is used for the nonpartisan legislature and some other statewide races. All other primaries are semi-closed.[1]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
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.[2]
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.[3][4] 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.[5] Online applications must be submitted by midnight on the third Friday before the election.[6]
Automatic registration
Nebraska does not practice automatic voter registration.[1]
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.[7]
Same-day registration
Nebraska does not allow same-day voter registration.[1]
Residency requirements
In Nebraska, citizens can register to vote the day they become residents of the state.[5]
Verification of citizenship
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."[8]
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.[9] 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
Early voting
Nebraska permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
The state of Nebraska refers to its no-excuse absentee/mail-in voting option as early voting. All voters are eligible to vote absentee/mail-in in Nebraska. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee/by-mail.[10]
The last day to request an absentee ballot to be mailed is if the close of business on the second Friday preceding the election. A returned absentee ballot must then be received by election officials by 8 p.m. (CST) on Election Day.[10]
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 National Conference of State Legislatures Website, "State Primary Election Types," accessed April 18, 2023 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "ncsl" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Nebraska Statutes, "Section 32-908," accessed April 18, 2023
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, “Nebraska Voter Registration Background,” accessed April 18, 2023
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, “Felon Voting Rights FAQ,” accessed April 18, 2023
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Nebraska Secretary of State, “Voter Information Frequently Asked Questions,” accessed April 18, 2023
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, “Online Voter Registration Frequently Asked Questions,” accessed April 18, 2023
- ↑ Omaha World-Herald, “Online voter registration is coming to Nebraska,” September 5, 2015
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State’s Official Voter Registration Application," accessed November 1, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Nebraska Secretary of State, “Early Voting,” accessed April 18, 2023
