Cindy Gonzalez
LINCOLN — Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen is predicting a 72% statewide voter turnout for the 2024 general election, an estimate based on early voting and turnout trends in recent general elections.
That’s in the same league as the statewide 76% turnout for the 2020 presidential election, which was fueled by overwhelming amounts of early voting connected to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Evnen, in a press release Monday, said county election offices have done a “remarkable job” of helping early voters cast their ballots securely.
“Nebraskans continue to fulfill the new voter ID requirement before voting, and we expect that to continue on Election Day,” he said.
Nebraska has 1,264,149 registered voters. So far, Evnen said, 332,455 registered voters have successfully cast ballots for the Nov. 5 general election.
Of those, 72,049 have voted early in person at county election offices and 260,406 have voted early by mail including voters in by-mail counties or precincts.
His office offered a few key reminders:
Today (Monday Nov. 4) is the final day voters can vote early in person at county election offices.
Tuesday (Nov. 5) is the final day voters can return their early voting ballots to county election offices.
To be counted, early voting ballots must be returned to county election offices by the close of polls (8 p.m. Central Time, 7 p.m. Mountain Time) on Election Day. Late ballots will not be accepted, even if postmarked on or before Election Day.
Evnen’s staff said Monday that it is too late for voters to mail their early voting ballots. Voters should use secure drop boxes to return their early voting ballots before the close of polls on Election Day.
Nebraskans can find their polling place on VoterCheck.
Voters should be prepared to vote with an acceptable ID: Nebraska driver’s license or state ID; U.S. passport; military ID; Tribal ID; hospital, intermediate care facility, assisted-living facility or nursing home record; Nebraska political subdivision ID (state, county, city, school, etc.); Nebraska college or university ID (public or private).
The ID must have the voter’s name and photo. IDs can be expired. Nebraska’s new law does not require Nebraska voters to re-register to vote. Voter ID educational material is available in English and Spanish at voterID.nebraska.gov.