Early voting applications hitting mailboxes this week

Nebraskans are reminded to check the mail this week if they regularly vote early in Nebraska elections and filed a standing request with their county election commissioner to do so again.

Election commissioners in Douglas, Lancaster and many other Nebraska counties recently mailed ballot request cards to people on their regular early voter lists.

Douglas County has mailed out 160,000 cards. Lancaster County mailed out 64,000 of its blue postcards Friday.

People can return the early voting application forms to any 2024 county election drop box or their county election office.

No tally of postcards statewide

The Nebraska Secretary of State's Office records the number of early voting ballots requested. It does not tally the reminder forms sent reminding voters they can request ballots.

Douglas County Election Commissioner Brian Kruse reminded voters they have to request an early voting ballot for each election.

He said he hopes people use the postcards to request their ballot because he said it helps streamline the process.

People who voted early in the May primary do not automatically receive a ballot by mail. They'll have to return the new postcard or fill out a request form for the General Election, he said.

People not on the early voting lists can request an early ballot from their county election office or the Secretary of State's Office. The application must be filled out and returned.

Kruse said his office is expecting 150,000 early voting requests. He and other election officials encouraged people to request ballots sooner rather than later in case forms need fixing.

Don't wait for deadline

The deadline for requests is close of business Oct. 25.

New this year is a requirement that voters requesting an early ballot provide a driver's license number or state ID number on the request form.

Voters who would prefer another means of verifying their ID can include a photocopy of a driver's license, state ID, passport, military ID, tribal ID, college ID or a few more options.

Relatively few problems were reported in May, during the first statewide primary since Nebraska adopted voter ID. But election officials said they want to prepare voters who skipped the primary.

Of 95,000 votes cast in Douglas County in May, 11 people cast special provisional ballots because they forgot to take their ID to the polling place, election officials said.

"What that tells me is Douglas County and Nebraska voters have accepted and understand the new law," Kruse said. "Even if they don't agree with it, they're complying with it."

The first ballots by mail will be sent to voters Sept. 30.