Voting Rights

Nebraska is a battleground for voting rights, and current efforts threaten to further erode access to the ballot.

State senators, bowing to pressure from outside the state, aim to end Nebraska’s split electoral vote system, shifting to winner-take-all to weaken the voting power of some Nebraskans. At the same time, some of these elected officials express support for increased restrictions on access to the ballot, regulations that will make it harder for Nebraskans — especially rural voters, seniors, students, and low-income communities — to register and vote, leading to lower turnout and less representative results. These attacks undermine democracy and further silence communities that historically have had to fight for basic rights of representation.

Our goals aim to protect access to the ballot and build power:

• Protect and advance voting rights for incarcerated Nebraskans. This involves securing access to the vote for those in jails and state-run institutions, recognizing that incarceration should not mean exclusion from democracy. We will work to ensure that those who have completed their felony sentences are able to access their right to vote as guaranteed by Nebraska law ending arbitrary and punitive disenfranchisement.
• Protect and wield direct democracy. We will defend the power of the people, Nebraska’s Second House, to use citizen-initiated ballot initiatives and referendums to propose or reject laws and constitutional amendments at the polls. As an active coalition member, we strengthen our capacity to effectively collaborate with diverse community members — especially those directly impacted by a ballot issue — and with partner organizations across the state to advance mission-aligned ballot measures.