Rose Nelson recall, Morrill County, Nebraska (2025)
| Rose Nelson recall |
|---|
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| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Recall election date |
| December 9, 2025 |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2025 Recalls in Nebraska Nebraska recall laws County official recalls Recall reports |
An election to recall York County Assessor Rose Nelson is scheduled for November 4, 2025, in Nebraska.
Birdgeport resident Jessica McKay launched the effort in July 2025. Recall organizers had 30 days to gather the 583 signatures required to trigger a special recall election.[2] Organizers turned in 759 signatures. The Morrill County Commission approved the special recall election on August 26, 2025 and scheduled the election for November 4, 2025.[3]
Recall vote
Rose Nelson recall, 2025
Rose Nelson is facing a recall election in the Morrill County Assessor recall on November 4, 2025.
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Recall supporters
According to recall organizer Jessica McKay, the effort to recall Rose Nelson originated from a property line dispute between the two, who are neighbors. McKay stated that the disagreement began after a conversation in which she mentioned plans to clear overgrown trees and build cattle pens near the shared property line. Following this discussion, McKay said Nelson and two others constructed a fence on the adjoining property.
McKay said that surveys were subsequently conducted on both properties. She referenced three surveys completed during litigation, including one by surveyor Bill Keefover, which she said aligned with the description in her warranty deed. McKay also stated that Nelson had a survey performed that produced similar results.
McKay said she approached Nelson about the fence's location, and Nelson responded that the fenced area was part of her property. McKay said the disagreement led to a legal dispute and ultimately contributed to her decision to pursue a recall. "My stance on it would be, right is right, and elected officials need to be held to a higher standard," McKay said.[4]
Recall opponents
Rose Nelson responded to the recall effort by stating that the assessor’s office does not have the authority to change property boundaries. According to Nelson, a county assessor’s role is to assess the value of land based on existing legal descriptions and surveys, not to determine or alter property lines.
“A surveyor is actually a licensed professional,” Nelson said. “They do go out and survey lines which can be used in legal descriptions.” She added that surveyors establish boundary markers and provide documentation used in public records. Nelson emphasized that while assessors work with surveyors, their responsibilities are distinct. “We assess. We set values, which then, in turn, leads to taxation,” she said. Nelson also noted that assessors in Nebraska must pass a state certification exam and maintain continuing education requirements.
Regarding the fence, Nelson said it was rebuilt due to the number of cattle in the McKays’ corrals and concerns they might escape. She stated the fence replaced an earlier electric one. Nelson added that when a court order required the fence to be removed, she complied and was present during its removal. “There literally was wire at the bottom…it had just been buried in the blow-dirt,” she said.
Nelson said the dispute had become personal and questioned whether the recall would have occurred if she were simply a neighbor and not the county assessor. She maintained that her office does not use mapping to set property values and asserted that she complied with the court’s ruling once it was finalized.
“I do fully plan to stay in office and I will continue to do my job professionally and completely. It’s what I’ve done for 16-plus years,” Nelson said.[4]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Nebraska
No specific grounds are required for recall in Nebraska.[5] The number of signatures required to put the recall on the ballot depends on the office type. A majority of offices require signatures equal to 35% of the total vote cast for that office in the last general election.[6] Petition signatures must be filed within 30 days of the filing clerk issuing the petitions.[7]
Recall context
- See also: Ballotpedia's Recall Report
Ballotpedia covers recall efforts across the country for all state and local elected offices. A recall effort is considered official if the petitioning party has filed an official form, such as a notice of intent to recall, with the relevant election agency.
The chart below shows how many officials were included in recall efforts from 2012 to 2024 as well as how many of them defeated recall elections to stay in office and how many were removed from office in recall elections.
See also
- Ballotpedia's Recall Report
- Morrill County, Nebraska
- Recall campaigns in Nebraska
- Political recall efforts, 2025
- County commission recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ KNEB, "Signatures turned in for Morrill Co. Assessor recall effort," August 12, 2025
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedprocess - ↑ News Channel Nebraska Panhandle, "Commissioners approve special recall election for Assessor," August 26, 2025
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 News Channel Nebraska Panhandle, "Recall petition announced for Morrill County assessor," July 28, 2025
- ↑ Nebraska Legislature, "Nebraska Revised Statute 32-1304," accessed May 27, 2021
- ↑ Nebraska Legislature, "Nebraska Revised Statute 32-1303," accessed October 16, 2023
- ↑ Nebraska Legislature, "Nebraska Revised Statute 32-1305," accessed October 16, 2023
