Voters approve higher minimum wage, voter ID in midterm election

Two initiative measures - one requiring photographic identification, one increasing minimum wage - were passed by Nebraska voters during the Nov. 8 General Election.

Initiative 432 amends Nebraska's constitution, to require voters to "present valid photographic identification" prior to voting. Nebraska's legislature will hammer out the details, according to language in the measure.

Voters also approved Initiative 433, which will gradually raise the state's minimum wage from the current rate of $9 an hour to $15 per hour by 2026.

On Jan. 1, the wage will increase to $10.50 and continue with a $1.50 boost until 2026. After that, the rate will be adjusted yearly, based on the cost of living index.

More than half of Antelope and Holt County voters turned out for the midterm election.

In Antelope County, 2,536 - or 56.8% - of the county's 4,465 registered voters cast ballots. Holt County lists 7,081 registered voters, with 4,082 - 57.65% - voting on Nov. 8.

Village races

Jeff Schlect and Marsha Hart will fill seats on Clearwater's village board. Brian King, a write-in candidate, will fill a third seat.

Schlecht finished with 114 votes; Hart, 93; and write-in votes totaled 28.

Ewing Village Board of Trustees will have one new member. Katie Cunningham finished third in the race, with 79 votes. She will join incumbents Kane Fry and Dustin Jorgensen, who received 107 and 104 votes, respectively.

Glen Cheatum led candidates for the Orchard Village Board of Trustees, earning 111 votes. Tyson Schutt finished second, receiving 94 votes and Dwight Van Ostrand, third, with 78 votes. Five write-in votes were cast.

Orchard voters approved redistributing its LB840 sales tax, with 85 votes in favor and 36 against.

With passage, 25% of sales tax funds collected will be earmarked for economic development instead of the current 50% rate.

Max Hieter, Myron Hergert and Jim Bright will fill seats on the Royal Village Board of Trustees. Heiter received 25 votes. Hergert and Bright each received 24.

In Page, Mark Tyrell received 33 votes and Mary Jo Van Every Leichleiter, 32, to fill seats on the Page Board of Trustees.

Terry Bartak finished with 28 votes and Kurtis J. Campbell, 15.

Board of Education

After votes were counted in four counties, one incumbent and two new members were selected for the Summerland School Board of Education.

Jeremy Wagner was re-elected with 488 votes. He finished second in voting.

Austin Twibell led the field of six contenders, gathering 501 votes. Scott Thiele advances to the board, with 438 votes.

LuAnn Schindler finished fourth with 423 votes; Mark Ramold, fifth, 412 and Mia Bergman, sixth, 369.

County offices

County attorney Joe Abler; clerk, Lisa Payne; sheriff, Bob Moore; district court clerk, Angela Mortensen, treasurer, Deb Branstiter and assessor, Kelly Mueller-Oltjenbruns were re-elected.

Neil Williby will serve as district one commissioner, receving 427 votes.

Regina Krebs was re-elected to serve district three. She received 332 votes.

In district five, Keith Heithoff will serve. He received 445 votes.

Robert Lewis and Rachel A. Shrader will serve on the county weed authority board. Lewis received 1,380 votes and Shrader, 1,334.

Cris Kurpgeweit will serve on the county airport authority. He received 1,809 votes.

Antelope County voters approved electing a county surveyor, after 1,135 approved the measure. Eight hundred ninety-nine voters were against an election for the position, favoring the county commissioners to appoint the position.

Holt County race results were unavailable.

NRD/RPPD

Terry Strope will served North Central Public Power District 4. He received 417 votes.

Joe Thiele received 1,003 votes for re-election as the Elkhorn Rural Public Power District 3 representative.

The Upper Elkhorn Natural Resource District will be represented by Christopher Dierks, at-large member, who received 1,703 votes in Antelope County; Kevin Blair, who received 414 votes for the district five seat; Matthew Beckman, district seven rep, who earned 639 votes and Aaron Rice, representing district six. He earned 722 votes.

Northeast Community College

Del Ames, of Neligh, was re-elected to serve district one on the Northeast Community College board of governors

University Board of Regents

Paul Kenney received 966 votes to defeat Julie Hehnke, who finished with 717 votes.

State Board of Education

The district six seat on the state school board will be filled by Sherry Jones. She received 1,343 votes in Antelope County to defeat Danielle Helzer, 485.

Legislature District 40

Barry DeKay, of Lynch, will represent Antelope and Holt counties in the statehouse

One hundred ninety-five votes separated Barry DeKay and Keith Kube in Antelope County. DeKay received 1,216, while Kube finished with 1,021.

DeKay doubled the votes in Holt County, receiving 2,611 votes to Kube’s 1,174.

Across the district, DeKay earned 59.37% of the vote. Kube finished with 40.63%.

State offices

Jim Pillen led gubernatorial candidates, collecting 2,021 votes in Antelope County and 3,098 Holt County votes.

Bob Enven was re-elected as secretary of state. John Murante will serve as state treasurer; Mike Hilgers, attorney general; and Mike Foley as auditor of public accounts.

Eric Kamler received 2,001 votes in Antelope County en route to an appointment to the Public Service Commission’s fourth district.

Congress

Third District Representative Adrien Smith received 2,113 votes in Antelope County. Holt County votes were unavailable.