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Voting Rights
aclu-ne-election-scorecard-graphicYour VOTE and VOICE are essential to America's democracy.
Every vote counts. Your right to vote is one of the most basic rights you have as an American.

Let Me Vote!

Wednesday, 12 September 2012 00:00
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RESOURCES TO HELP YOU VOTE!

Documents & Forms

 English

Spanish

Tips & Information

Nebraska Secretary of State
Election Division

Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
888) 727-0007 (toll free)

ACLU Voter Protection Hotline:
(877) 523-2792

US Department of Justice:
(800) 253-3931

QUICK TIPS FOR VOTERS
  • Check if you are registered to vote.
  • Locate your polling place and note the hours of operation.
  • Consider voting early (or absentee).  If you plan to vote at the polls, go early in the day to avoid the last-minute rush.
  • Read all instructions carefully.
  • Take your time.
  • Ask for help if you need it.
  • You may always ask for a provisional ballot if not on the list.
WHO CAN VOTE
Can I vote in Nebraska?
  • If you are a U.S. Citizen who is at least 18 years old on or before November 6, 2012 and live in Nebraska - you can register to vote.
    If you are a U.S. Citizen who is at least 18 years old on or before November 6, 2012 and live in Nebraska - you can register to vote.
What if I'm a student?
  • You can register in any county where you have a valid address (school, parent’s home, or other) and will be 18 years old on or before November 6, 2012.
What if I've been convicted of a crime?
  • You may vote 2 years after all terms of your felony sentence, probation and/or parole are completed if convicted of a felony.
What if I'm homeless?
  • You can use county courthouses or clerks’ office as a mailing address to register to vote.
What if I've moved or changed my name?
  • If you have moved/your address has changed, you need to REGISTER TO VOTE WITH YOUR NEW ADDRESS.
  • If you have changed your name, you need to REGISTER TO VOTE WITH YOUR NEW NAME.
How do I know if I'm registered?
  • Go online to www.votercheck.necvr.ne.gov to check your voter registration information.
  • You may also call your county election commission or the Nebraska Secretary of State's office (1-888-727-0007).
REGISTRATION

How do I register?

  • You may register in person at your county election commissioner office or Department of Motor Vehicle office.
  • You can register by mail using the mail-in registration form found at www.aclunebraska.org. View the instructions on the form as you may need to confirm your address by mailing a copy of a bill or similar item.
What's the registration deadline?
  • For mail-in registrations, you must reigster by October 19.

What if I miss the deadline?

  • You may register in-person at the county election commission office or Department of Motor Vehicals until October 26.

VOTING EARLY

 Can I vote before Election Day?

  • Yes. In Nebraska you may either vote by mail or in advance at the election commission. You may begin voting on October 1, 2012.

What's early voting?

  • Early voting allows people to vote before election day.
How do I get an absentee ballot?
  • Download an early voting ballot today. Return the form to your county election commission by October 31, 2012.
  • You can visit your county election commission by October 31, 2012 by 4:00pm, for an early voting application.
What's the deadline for returning my absentee ballot?
  • Your early ballot must be returned by 8:00pm on November 6, 2012.

VOTER ID

Do I have to show ID?
  • No. You do NOT need to show an ID to vote.
  • The only time voters may be asked for their ID is if they are a first time Nebraska registrant who did not provide ID docutments at the time of their registration.
  • You may always ask for a provisional ballot.
VOTING ON ELECTION DAY

When is Election Day?

  • November 6, 2012 (1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November).
When are the polls open?
  • The polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Central Time Zone and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Mountain Time Zone.
Can I get time off from work to vote?
  • Your employer must make reasonable accomidations to allow you to vote, such as offering a standard lunch break.
Where do I vote?
  • Your polling place may be a school, church or government office.
  • Find your polling location by visiting www.votercheck.necvr.ne.gov or calling 1-888-727-0007.
What if I am disabled and my polling place is not accessible?
  • By law, polling places in Nebraska must be accessible.
  • If you have problems accessing your polling place, call 1-888-727-0007 for the Secretary of State's office.
  • You may also vote by mail if you have concerns about accessing your polling place.
Can I get a ballot in my native language?
  • You cannot get a printed ballot in your native language, but ballots in multiple languages are available by using AutoMARK, an electronic ballot marking device. Voters may request to use the AutoMARK device from officials at the polling place. AutoMARK devices are available at every polling place.
What if I need help in the voting booth?
  • Voters who cannot read, are blind or have a physical disability may request assistance in marking their ballots. The voter may have a friend or relative assist them or the voter may request the assistance of two election board workers one each of a different party.
  • An AutoMARK ballot marking device is available to assist the voter at every polling place. This allows the voter to have all contests and candidates read to them.  Or the voter can choose to enlarge the print making it easier to view. 

PROBLEMS AT THE POLLS

 What if I'm not on the voter list?

  •  You may be asked to check with a different polling place or cast a provisional ballot upon completing a certification and new registration form. It is possible that if you moved, your voter registration was not updated.
  • Persons casting Provisional ballots may check to see if their ballot was counted starting the second Wednesday after the election by visiting www.votercheck.necvr.ne.gov or calling toll free 1-888-727-0007. Provisional ballots are counted only if the information the voter provided on their certification forms was verified.
What if I go to the wrong polling place?
  • You may be asked to go to a different polling place or cast a provisional ballot using the process outlined above.
What if someone challenges my right to vote?
  • If someone challenges your right to vote, you have options. Start by contacting the Nebraska Secretary of State's office. Then contact the ACLU Voter Protection Hotline or ACLU Nebraska.
What if someone tries to intimidate or harass me?
  • Inform the workers at the poll of the situation. If the problem is related to a poll worker, contact the Nebraska Secretary of State's office. If you are concerned for your own safety, contact law enforcement.
What if I make a mistake on my ballot or the voting machine malfunctions?
  • In Nebraska all counties use optical scan ballots. Ask a poll worker for a new ballot if needed.
How do I make a complaint?
  • If you need to make a complaint about your voting experience, start by contacting the Nebraska Secretary of State's office. Then contact the ACLU Voter Protection Hotline or ACLU Nebraska.
What if I don't have any ID?
  • Voters in Nebraska do not need to present a voter registration card or ID in order to vote. The only time voters may be asked for their ID is if they are a first time Nebraska registrant who did not provide ID documents at the time of their registration.
What is a provisional ballot?
  • A provisional ballot is used to record a citizen's vote when the registration information needs to be confirmed.

Will my provisional ballot be counted?

  • If your information is verified and you are eligible vote, your provisional ballot will be counted.
  • Persons casting provisional ballots may check to see if their ballot was counted starting the second Wednesday after the election by visiting www.votercheck.necvr.ne.gov/ or calling toll free 1-888-727-0007. Provisional ballots are counted only if the information the voter provided on their certification forms was verified.
Attachments:
Download this file (Let Me Vote Campaign Launch 2012 09 24.doc)Let Me Vote Press Release[ ]91 Kb
Download this file (revised_exfelonvotingbrochure06.14.11.pdf)revised_exfelonvotingbrochure06.14.11.pdf[ ]31 Kb
Download this file (VRP_brochure2012_NE_FINAL.pdf)VRP_brochure2012_NE_FINAL.pdf[ ]879 Kb
 

Vote for your Favorite Candidate! (Some Restrictions May Apply)

Sunday, 10 July 2011 15:05
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Support of ACLU brings the nation’s foremost defenders of civil liberties to Nebraska. National ACLU attorneys Aziz Ahmad and Elora Mukherjee with (center) client Gene Siadek, Chair of Nebraska Libertarian Party. Support of ACLU brings the nation’s foremost defenders of civil liberties to Nebraska. National ACLU attorneys Aziz Ahmad and Elora Mukherjee with (center) client Gene Siadek, Chair of Nebraska Libertarian Party.
If you’re not a Democrat or Republican, how can you get your candidate on the ballot? You couldn’t, really, according to our clients in the Libertarian Party. In order to get listed on the ballot if you’re a third-party candidate, you need to collect thousands of signatures across the state, and Nebraska recently banned the use of non-resident paid petition circulators. According to witnesses who testified in federal court, Nebraska only has one resident circulator—so a third-party must essentially use volunteers to cover the whole state just to get on the ballot and participate in the political process.

This is the reason the national ACLU Voting Rights Project based in New York partnered with ACLU Nebraska to challenge the prohibitions on Nebraskans’ right to engage meaningfully in elections without allying themselves with one of the two major political parties.

We sued on behalf of the Nebraska Libertarian Party, a non-profit organization named Citizens in Charge that works for ballot initiative reform, and an individual candidate who says he’s been thwarted from being able to run as an Independent.

On August 31, 2011, US District Court Judge Joseph Bataillon ruled in favor of ballot access by siding with the ACLU that a ban on out-of-state petition workers was an unfair burden on third-party candidates and those wanting to conduct a petition drive to promote their political views.

Whether you send a check to our office in Nebraska or in New York, your contributions make these partnerships--and victories--possible. You’re not just a card-carrying member of ACLU Nebraska—you’re part of a nation-wide movement to protect civil liberties.

 

Libertarian Party Joins ACLU Challenge to Nebraska Petition Laws

Thursday, 27 May 2010 22:07
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An ongoing lawsuit filed by the ACLU Voting Rights Project and ACLU Nebraska is already challenging ballot access laws for third parties.  Today, the ACLU asked the federal court's permission to add the Nebraska Libertarian Party as an additional party affected by these onerous laws designed to keep smaller political parties off the ballot.
 

ACLU Challenges Nebraska's Unfair Ballot Laws in Court

Friday, 18 December 2009 19:14
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Two aspects of Nebraska's ballot petition laws are the subject of a lawsuit filed today: first, we charge the law has made it too hard for independent party candidates to be put on the ballot and second, petition circulators are currently required to be Nebraska residents in violation of the right to travel.  Our lawsuit is pending in federal court.
Attachments:
Download this file (Citizens in Charge Complaint.pdf)Citizens in Charge Complaint.pdf[ ]98 Kb
 

Can a felon who has paid their debt to society register to vote?

Tuesday, 12 July 2005 00:00
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Up until recently in Nebraska, a released prisoner would become citizens again--but not full citizens.  People who finished paying for their crime didn't have the right to vote, the most basic way every citizen contributes to our nation.  ACLU Nebraska and a coalition of other concerned people worked to change this and make Nebraska like most states, where a felon automatically gains the right to vote again when he or she is free again.  In 2005, the Nebraska legislature passed LB 53, which restores the right to vote after the person has gone for two years since release from their sentence.  It's not automatic: you still have to register, but now everyone can fully participate in our democracy.  Download a brochure about felons' voting rights here.
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