Nebraska Initiative 439, Right to Abortion Initiative (2024)

Nebraska Initiative 439
Election date November 5, 2024
Topic Abortion
Status d Defeated
Type Constitutional amendment	Origin Citizens

Nebraska Initiative 439, the Right to Abortion Initiative, was on the ballot in Nebraska as an initiated constitutional amendment on November 5, 2024. The ballot measure was defeated.

A "yes" vote supported amending the state constitution to establish a right to abortion until fetal viability.

A "no" vote opposed amending the state constitution to establish a right to abortion until fetal viability.

Election results

See also: Results for abortion-related ballot measures, 2024

Nebraska Initiative 439
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		455,184	49.01%
No		473,652	50.99%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Overview

What would the amendment have done?

See also: Text of measure

The measure would have amended Article I of the Nebraska Constitution to add a new section providing a right to abortion until fetal viability, defined as "the point in pregnancy when, in the professional judgment of the patient's treating health care practitioner, there is a significant likelihood of the fetus' sustained survival outside of the uterus without the application of extraordinary medical measures."

As of 2024, abortion was illegal after 12 weeks post-fertilization.

How did this measure relate to Initiative 434?

See also: Nebraska Initiative 434, Prohibit Abortions After the First Trimester Amendment (2024)

Voters in Nebraska decided on competing ballot measures on abortion. Voters approved Initiative 434, which prohibited abortions after the first trimester, except for medical emergencies or cases related to rape or incest. Voters defeated Initiative 439, which would have established a "fundamental right to abortion until fetal viability, or when needed to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient."

Secretary of State Bob Evnen (R) said, "[T]his November general election ballot will host two ballot measures that appear in direct conflict with each other, which could be the first time this has happened in Nebraska’s history." He said Gov. Jim Pillen (R) would have been responsible for determining whether there was a conflict if both passed.

The competing measures were also significant because this was the first time voters anywhere decided on conflicting abortion-related ballot measures on the same ballot.

What was the status of abortion in Nebraska?

See also: Background

In Nebraska as of 2024, abortion was banned after 12 weeks of pregnancy. The law banning abortion after 12 weeks, LB 574, was signed by Gov. Jim Pillen (R) on May 22, 2023. Exceptions included saving the life of the mother, preventing serious risk to the physical health of the mother, and if the pregnancy was a result of rape and/or incest.

What states have decided on abortion ballot measures in 2022 and 2023?

See also: History of abortion ballot measures

In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs. v. Jackson Women's Health Organization that there is no federal constitutional right to abortion and overturned Roe. v. Wade, placing many abortion policy decisions with the states. From 2022 to 2023, seven ballot measures addressing abortion have been on the ballot, with 2022 having the highest number of abortion ballot measures on record in a single year. Four measures—in Vermont, Michigan, and California in 2022, and Ohio in 2023— were sponsored by campaigns that described themselves as pro-choice and created state constitutional rights to abortion. All four measures were approved. Three measures—in Kansas, Kentucky, and Montana— were sponsored by campaigns describing themselves as pro-life and were designed to explicitly provide that there is no right to abortion in the state constitution. All three were defeated.

What states voted on abortion ballot measures in 2024?

See also: 2023 and 2024 abortion-related ballot measures

The following table provides a list of abortion-related measures that were on the ballot in 2024:

State	Date	Measure	Description	Outcome
Arizona	Nov. 5, 2024	Right to Abortion Initiative	• Establishes the fundamental right to abortion that the state of Arizona may not interfere with before the point of fetal viability	a
Colorado	Nov. 5, 2024	Right to Abortion Initiative	• Provide a constitutional right to abortion in the state constitution and allow the use of public funds for abortion	a
Florida	Nov. 5, 2024	Florida Amendment 4	• Provide a constitutional right to abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient's health, as determined by the patient's healthcare provider	d
Maryland	Nov. 5, 2024	Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment	• Amend the Maryland Constitution to establish a right to reproductive freedom, defined to include "decisions to prevent, continue, or end one's own pregnancy"	a
Missouri	Nov. 5, 2024	Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment	• Amend the Missouri Constitution to provide the right for reproductive freedom, and provide that the state legislature may enact laws that regulate abortion after fetal viability	a
Montana	Nov. 5, 2024	CI-128, Right to Abortion Initiative	• Amend the Montana Constitution to provide a state constitutional "right to make and carry out decisions about one’s own pregnancy, including the right to abortion"	a
Nebraska	Nov. 5, 2024	Prohibit Abortions After the First Trimester Amendment	• Amend the Nebraska Constitution to provide that "unborn children shall be protected from abortion in the second and third trimesters"	a
Nebraska	Nov. 5, 2024	Right to Abortion Initiative	• Amend the Nebraska Constitution to provide that "all persons shall have a fundamental right to abortion until fetal viability"	d
New York	Nov. 5, 2024	Equal Protection of Law Amendment	• Add language to the New York Bill of Rights to provide that people cannot be denied rights based on their "ethnicity, national origin, age, and disability" or "sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy."	a
Nevada	Nov. 5, 2024	Right to Abortion Initiative	• Establish the constitutional right to an abortion, providing for the state to regulate abortion after fetal viability, except where medically indicated to protect the life, physical health, or mental health of the pregnant woman.	a
South Dakota	Nov. 5, 2024	Constitutional Amendment G	• Provide a trimester framework for regulating abortion in the South Dakota Constitution	d

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Initiative 439 was as follows:

“

Shall the Nebraska Constitution be amended to include a new section which provides: 'All persons shall have a fundamental right to abortion until fetal viability, or when needed to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient, without interference from the state or its political subdivisions. Fetal viability means the point in pregnancy when, in the professional judgment of the patient’s treating health care practitioner, there is a significant likelihood of the fetus’ sustained survival outside the uterus without the application of extraordinary medical measures.' [ ] For [ ] Against

”

Ballot summary

The ballot summary for Initiative 439 was as follows:

“

A vote 'FOR' will amend the Nebraska Constitution to provide that all persons shall have a fundamental right to abortion until fetal viability, or when needed to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient, without interference from the state or its political subdivisions. Fetal viability is defined as the point in pregnancy when, in the professional judgment of the patient’s treating health care practitioner, there is a significant likelihood of the fetus’ sustained survival outside the uterus without the application of extraordinary medical measures. A vote 'AGAINST' will not amend the Nebraska Constitution in such manner.

”

Object statement

The object statement on the circulating petition was:

“

The object of this petition is to amend the Nebraska Constitution to provide all persons the fundamental right to abortion without interference from the state or its political subdivisions until fetal viability, which is the point in pregnancy when, in the professional judgment of the patient's health care practitioner, there is a significant likelihood of the fetus' sustained survival outside the uterus without the application of extraordinary medical measures; or when needed to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient.

”

Constitutional changes

See also: Article I, Nebraska Constitution

The ballot measure would have added a Section 31 to Article I of the Nebraska Constitution. The following underlined text would have been added:

All persons shall have a fundamental right to abortion until fetal viability, or when needed to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient, without interference from the state or its political subdivisions. Fetal viability means the point in pregnancy when, in the professional judgment of the patient's treating health care practitioner, there is a significant likelihood of the fetus' sustained survival outside the uterus without the application of extraordinary medical measures.

Readability score

See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2024

Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, Ballotpedia scored the readability of the ballot title and summary for this measure. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. The Flesch-Kincaid formulas account for the number of words, syllables, and sentences in a text; they do not account for the difficulty of the ideas in the text. The attorney general wrote the ballot language for this measure.

The FKGL for the ballot title is grade level 15, and the FRE is 26. The word count for the ballot title is 88.

The FKGL for the ballot summary is grade level 19, and the FRE is 18. The word count for the ballot summary is 98.

Support

Protect Our Rights led the campaign supporting Initiative 439. Protect Our Rights also led the campaign to oppose Initiative 434.

Supporters

Former Officials

• New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (D)

Organizations

• ACLU of Nebraska
• Ballot Initiative Strategy Center
• Black in Action Collective
• Freedom From Religion Foundation
• Hopewell Fund
• Nebraska Appleseed
• Nebraska Civic Engagement Table
• New Venture Fund
• Planned Parenthood Action Fund
• Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska
• Reproductive Freedom For All
• Second House Collaborative
• The Fairness Project
• Think Big America
• Women’s Fund of Omaha

Arguments

• Protect Our Rights: "There are many reasons why someone may make the deeply personal decision to have an abortion. Most Nebraskans agree that the government should not be involved in personal decisions that are better left to patients, their faith, and their health care providers. Nebraskans deserve the right to make their own decisions about pregnancy and abortion."

Opposition

Protect Women and Children led the campaign opposing Initiative 439. Protect Women and Children also led the campaign to support Initiative 434.

Opponents

Officials

• U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R)
• U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts (R)
• Gov. Jim Pillen (R)
• State Sen. Tanya Storer (Nonpartisan)
• University of Nebraska Board Regent Robert Schafer (Nonpartisan)
• University of Nebraska Board Regent Jim Scheer (Nonpartisan)

Organizations

• Common Sense Nebraska
• Nebraska Family Alliance
• Nebraska Right to Life
• Priests for Life
• Students for Life

Arguments

• U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts (R): "We must continue to lay the ground for a society in which abortion is not an accepted answer to an unwanted pregnancy… We can say the line is drawn here and no further."
• Catherine Brooks, neonatal pediatrician: "As a doctor, I want compassionate, clear, scientific standards of care. As a mom, I want to keep the government out of the relationship between a woman and her physician. Initiative 439 pretends to protect our rights but it does the opposite. It lets government officials interfere in medical decisions and takes care out of the hands of licensed physicians, when women in crisis need them most."

Campaign finance

See also: Campaign finance requirements for Nebraska ballot measures

The campaign finance information on this page reflects the most recent scheduled reports that Ballotpedia has processed, which covered through December 31, 2024.

Protect Our Rights registered as a political action committee (PAC) to support Initiative 439 and oppose Initiative 434. Protect Women & Children registered as a PAC to oppose Initiative 439 and support Initiative 434.

	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Support	$12,935,936.35	$2,962,655.61	$15,898,591.96	$10,511,165.90	$13,473,821.51
Oppose	$7,742,302.32	$4,974,819.53	$12,717,121.85	$7,736,555.06	$12,711,374.59
Total	$20,678,238.67	$7,937,475.14	$28,615,713.81	$18,247,720.96	$26,185,196.10

Support

The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committees in support of the measure.

Committees in support of Initiative 439
Committee	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Protect Our Rights	$12,935,936.35	$2,962,655.61	$15,898,591.96	$10,511,165.90	$13,473,821.51
Total	$12,935,936.35	$2,962,655.61	$15,898,591.96	$10,511,165.90	$13,473,821.51

Donors

The following were the top donors who contributed to the support committees.

Donor	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions
New Venture Fund	$2,000,000.00	$0.00	$2,000,000.00
The Fairness Project	$1,500,000.00	$290,617.95	$1,790,617.95
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska	$1,507,500.00	$180,113.45	$1,687,613.45
Ashlei for Nebraska	$765,814.96	$765,814.96	$1,531,629.92
Michael Bloomberg	$1,500,000.00	$0.00	$1,500,000.00

Opposition

The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committee in opposition to the measure.

Committees in opposition to Initiative 439
Committee	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Protect Women & Children	$7,742,302.32	$4,974,819.53	$12,717,121.85	$7,736,555.06	$12,711,374.59
Total	$7,742,302.32	$4,974,819.53	$12,717,121.85	$7,736,555.06	$12,711,374.59

Donors

The following were the top donors who contributed to the opposition committee.

Donor	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions
Marlene Ricketts	$4,000,000.00	$0.00	$4,000,000.00
Jim Scheer for Regent	$0.00	$3,242,455.00	$3,242,455.00
Pete Ricketts	$1,115,000.00	$0.00	$1,115,000.00
Common Sense Nebraska	$245,000.00	$820,616.13	$1,065,616.13
Shawn Peed	$1,050,000.00	$0.00	$1,050,000.00

Methodology

To read Ballotpedia's methodology for covering ballot measure campaign finance information, click here.

Polls

See also: 2024 ballot measure polls

Are you aware of a poll on this ballot measure that should be included below? You can share ballot measure polls, along with source links, with us at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Nebraska Initiative 439, Right to Abortion Initiative (2024)
Poll	Dates	Sample size	Margin of error	Support	Oppose	Undecided

Emerson College Polling	9/26/24-10/2/24	1000 RV	± 3%	44%	40%	16%
	Question: "On the ballot measure to provide for a state constitutional right to abortion before fetal viability, would you vote yes, in favor of the constitutional right to abortion or no, in opposition?"

Note: LV is likely voters, RV is registered voters, and EV is eligible voters.

Background

Status of abortion in Nebraska

In Nebraska, as of 2024, abortion was banned after 12 weeks of pregnancy. This law went into effect when Gov. Jim Pillen (R) signed LB 574 into law on May 22, 2023. Exceptions after 12 weeks of pregnancy included saving the life of the mother, preventing serious risk to the physical health of the mother, and if the pregnancy was a result of rape and/or incest.

U.S. Supreme Court rulings on abortion

Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022)

See also: Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization

In 2018, Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a clinic and abortion facility in Mississippi, challenged the constitutionality of the "Gestational Age Act" in federal court. The newly-enacted law prohibited abortions after the fifteenth week of pregnancy except in cases of medical emergencies or fetal abnormalities. The U.S. district court granted summary judgment in favor of the plaintiffs, holding that the law was unconstitutional, and put a permanent stop to the law's enforcement. On appeal, the 5th Circuit affirmed the district court's ruling. Click here to learn more about the case's background. On May 17, 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States agreed to hear the case.

On June 24, 2022, in a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court of the United States found there was no constitutional right to abortion and overruled Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992). In a 6-3 ruling, the court upheld Mississippi's abortion law at issue in the case. Roe v. Wade found that state laws criminalizing abortion prior to fetal viability violated the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. In Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the essential holding of Roe v. Wade but rejected the trimester framework established in the case. The high court affirmed that states could not ban abortions before fetal viability.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

In 1973, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its ruling in Roe v. Wade, finding that state laws criminalizing abortion prior to fetal viability violated the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. The high court held that states can regulate and/or prohibit abortions (except those to preserve the life or health of the mother) once a fetus reaches the point of viability. Roe v. Wade defined fetal viability as "the interim point at which the fetus becomes 'viable,' that is, potentially able to live outside the mother's womb, albeit with artificial aid." The high court further noted that "viability is usually placed at about seven months (28 weeks) but may occur earlier, even at 24 weeks."

The ruling established a strict trimester framework to guide state abortion policies. States, according to this framework, were prohibited from banning or regulating abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy. During the second trimester, states were permitted to regulate abortion to protect the mother's health. During the third trimester, states were allowed to ban abortion, except in cases where an abortion is needed to preserve the life or health of the mother.

Abortion regulations by state

As of February 28, 2025, 41 states restricted abortions after a certain point in pregnancy. The remaining nine states and Washington, D.C., did not. Of the 41 states with established thresholds for restrictions on abortion:

• Thirteen states restrict abortion after conception
• Four states restrict abortion at six weeks post-fertilization
• Two states restrict abortion at 12 weeks post-fertilization
• Zero states restrict abortion at 15 weeks post-fertilization
• One state restricts abortion at 18 weeks since the last menstrual period
• Three states restrict abortion at 20 weeks post-fertilization or 22 weeks after the last menstrual period
• Four states restrict abortion at 24 weeks since the last menstrual period
• Thirteen states restrict abortion at fetal viability
• One state restricts abortion in the third trimester

The map and table below give more details on state laws restricting abortion based on the stage of pregnancy. Hover over the footnotes in the table for information on legislation pending legal challenges or otherwise not yet in effect.

Some of the terms that are used to describe states' thresholds for abortion restriction include the following:

1. Conception: This threshold prohibits all abortions after conception, although some states provide exceptions if the woman's life or health is threatened.
2. Fetal heartbeat: This threshold restricts abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which may begin six weeks after the last menstrual period.
3. Fetal viability: In Roe v. Wade, SCOTUS defined fetal viability. The Supreme Court further noted that "viability is usually placed at about seven months (28 weeks) but may occur earlier, even at 24 weeks."
4. Last menstrual period: This threshold marks the beginning of a pregnancy from the first day of a woman's last menstrual period.
5. Post-fertilization: Thresholds using post-fertilization mark the beginning of pregnancy at the time of conception, which can occur up to 24 hours following intercourse. A threshold of 20 weeks post-fertilization is equivalent to 22 weeks since last menstrual period.
6. Post-implantation: Thresholds using post-implantation mark the beginning of pregnancy at the date on which a fertilized egg adheres to the lining of the uterus, roughly five days after fertilization. A threshold of 24 weeks post-implantation is equivalent to 27 weeks since last menstrual period.

State constitutional rights and abortion-related ballot measures

Constitutional rights

The topic constitutional rights addresses ballot measures that establish a state constitutional right to abortion. Campaigns that support these measures often describe themselves as pro-choice or pro-reproductive rights.

State	Year	Measure	Yes	No	Outcome
Arizona	2024	Proposition 139, Right to Abortion Initiative	61.61%	38.39%	a
Colorado	2024	Right to Abortion and Health Insurance Coverage Initiative	61.97%	38.03%	a
Florida	2024	Amendment 4, Right to Abortion Initiative	57.17%	42.83%	d
Maryland	2024	Maryland Question 1, Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment	76.06%	23.94%	a
Missouri	2024	Missouri Amendment 3, Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative	51.60%	48.40%	a
Montana	2024	CI-128, Right to Abortion Initiative	57.76%	42.24%	a
Nebraska	2024	Nebraska Initiative 439, Right to Abortion Amendment	49.01%	50.99%	d
Nevada	2024	Nevada Question 6, Right to Abortion Initiative	64.36%	35.64%	a
New York	2024	New York Proposal 1, Equal Protection of Law Amendment	62.47%	37.53%	a
South Dakota	2024	Constitutional Amendment G, Right to Abortion Initiative	41.41%	58.59%	d
Ohio	2023	Issue 1: Right to Make Reproductive Decisions Including Abortion Initiative	56.78%	43.22%	a
California	2022	Proposition 1: Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment	66.88%	33.12%	a
Michigan	2022	Proposal 3: Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative	56.66%	43.34%	a
Vermont	2022	Proposal 5: Right to Personal Reproductive Autonomy Amendment	76.77%	23.23%	a

Constitutional interpretation

The topic constitutional interpretation addresses ballot measures designed to provide that state constitutions cannot be interpreted to establish a state constitutional right to abortion. These types of amendments are designed to address previous and future state court rulings on abortion that have prevented or could prevent legislatures from passing certain abortion laws. Campaigns that support these measures often describe themselves as pro-life.

State	Year	Measure	Yes	No	Outcome
Kansas	2022	No State Constitutional Right to Abortion and Legislative Power to Regulate Abortion Amendment	41.03%	58.97%	d
Kentucky	2022	No State Constitutional Right to Abortion Amendment	47.65%	52.35%	d
Louisiana	2020	Amendment 1: No Right to Abortion in Constitution Amendment	62.06%	37.94%	a
Alabama	2018	Amendment 2: State Abortion Policy Amendment	59.01%	40.99%	a
West Virginia	2018	Amendment 1: No Right to Abortion in Constitution Measure	51.73%	48.27%	a
Tennessee	2014	Amendment 1: No State Constitutional Right to Abortion and Legislative Power to Regulate Abortion Amendment	52.60%	47.40%	a
Florida	2012	Amendment 6: State Constitution Interpretation and Prohibit Public Funds for Abortions Amendment	44.90%	55.10%	d
Massachusetts	1986	Question 1: No State Constitutional Right to Abortion and Legislative Power to Regulate Abortion Amendment	41.83%	58.17%	d

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing the initiative process in Nebraska

The state process

In Nebraska, the number of signatures required to qualify an initiated constitutional amendment for the ballot is equal to 10 percent of registered voters as of the deadline for filing signatures. Because of the unique signature requirement based on registered voters, Nebraska is also the only state where petition sponsors cannot know the exact number of signatures required until they are submitted. Nebraska law also features a distribution requirement mandating that petitions contain signatures from 5 percent of the registered voters in each of two-fifths (38) of Nebraska's 93 counties.

Signatures must be submitted at least four months prior to the next general election. Signatures do not roll over and become invalid after the next general election at least four months after the initial initiative application filing. Depending on when the initiative application is filed, petitioners can have up to just under two years to circulate petitions.

The requirements to get an initiated constitutional amendment certified for the 2024 ballot:

• Signatures: approximately 123,465
• Deadline: The deadline to submit signatures was July 3, 2024.

Signatures are submitted to the secretary of state. The secretary of state sends the appropriate signature petitions to each county, where county election officials verify the signatures. Upon receiving the signatures back from county officials, the secretary of state determines whether or not the requirements were met.

Details about this initiative

• The initiative was filed on November 13, 2023.
• The campaign reported submitting 207,000 signatures on July 3, 2024.
• On August 23, 2024, the secretary of state certified the initiative for the ballot. The secretary reported that the campaign submitted more than 136,000 valid signatures and collected valid signatures from at least 5% of registered voters in 47 counties.

Sponsors of the measure hired Landslide Political and She's Electable Nebraska LLC to collect signatures for the petition to qualify this measure for the ballot. A total of $2,117,999.00 was spent to collect the 123,465 valid signatures required to put this measure before voters, resulting in a total cost per required signature (CPRS) of $17.15.

Lawsuit

Lawsuit overview
Issue: Whether the amendment violates the state's single subject rule
Court: Nebraska Supreme Court
Plaintiff(s): Carolyn I. LaGreca	Defendant(s): Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen (R)

  Source: Nebraska Examiner

On August 26, 2024, Carolyn LeGreca filed a lawsuit with the Nebraska Supreme Court arguing that the initiative violated the state's single subject rule because the U.S. Supreme Court has recognized a distinction between a fundamental right to abortion and granting it "without interference from the state."

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Nebraska

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Nebraska.

How to vote in Nebraska

Poll times

In Nebraska, all polling locations are open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central Time and 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Mountain Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote. Nebraska is divided between Central and Mountain time zones.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Nebraska, each applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of the Nebraska county in which they are registering, and at least 18 years old by the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Citizens are eligible to register to vote on January 1 of the year they will turn 18 before the November general election. People convicted of a felony are ineligible to register to vote until two years after the terms of their sentence have been completed, and individuals who have been declared mentally incompetent by a court are ineligible to register to vote. A voter registration application can be completed in person at the county clerk or election commissioner's office, the Department of Motor Vehicles, or other state agencies. In-person registration must be completed by the third Friday preceding the election if completed at the DMV or other state agencies. In-person registration at county election offices must be completed by 6 p.m. on the second Friday before the election. Applications returned by mail must be postmarked by the third Friday before the election. Online applications must be submitted by midnight on the third Friday before the election.

Automatic registration

Nebraska does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Nebraska has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website. The Nebraska State Senate enacted legislation allowing online voter registration in 2014, and the system was implemented in 2015.

Same-day registration

Nebraska does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

In Nebraska, citizens can register to vote the day they become residents of the state.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Nebraska does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, "any registrant who signs this application knowing that any of the information in the application is false shall be guilty of a Class IV felony under section 32-1502 of the statutes of Nebraska. The penalty for a Class IV felony is up to two years imprisonment and twelve months post-release supervision, a fine of up to $10,000.00, or both."

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. As of January 2025, six states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Voter View site, run by the Nebraska Secretary of State’s office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Nebraska requires voters to present identification while voting.

Initiative 432, approved by Nebraska voters in November 2022, amended Article I of the state constitution to require voters to present valid photo identification in order to vote. Governor Jim Pillen (R) signed Legislative Bill 514 into law on June 1, 2023, in order to implement this policy change. Due to this legislation, Nebraska's voter ID requirement went into effect on April 1, 2024, in time for the state's 2024 primary.

See also

2024 measures

• 2024 ballot measures
• Abortion on the ballot
• 2024 petition deadlines

Nebraska

• Nebraska ballot measures
• Nebraska initiative laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls
• Ballot measure signature costs

External links

• Full text