Julie and I had the opportunity to spend time at the Lincoln County and Thomas County Fairs this past week, as well as the Logan County Fire and Rescue barbeque and fundraiser. At the Thomas County Fair, we participated in the annual parade, the classic car show, and all the activities in the pavilion. I also engaged in some serious negotiations with a young girl to sell me her cookie jar filled with cookies (she drove a hard bargain). Talking to constituents in these casual settings is a great opportunity to better understand their needs and exchange information. We hated to miss the Perkins County Fair the previous weekend but had an unavoidable conflict.

This week, we plan to attend Brady Days, the Logan County Fair parade, and then up to Mullen for the Hooker County Fair and parade. Should be a great weekend, and we’re looking forward to it.

This week, I want to respond to the many questions and concerns about LB514, the voter ID bill. Last November, Nebraskans overwhelmingly approved Ballot Initiative 432, the Photo Voter Identification Initiative. Ballots indicated that “A YES vote supported amending to Constitution to require valid photo identification in order to vote and authorize the state legislature to pass laws to specify the photo identification requirements.”

It is important to remember that, although the Legislature was given the authority to develop the rules, state laws must not violate the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA). The NVRA (also known as the motor voter law) sets forth certain voter registration requirements with respect to elections for federal office. The NVRA requires that State offer voter registration opportunities at State motor vehicle agencies (section 5), by mail-in application (section 6), and at certain State and local offices, including public assistance and disability offices (section 7). The NVRA then goes into detail as to how each of the sections listed above are to be carried out. The NVRA also provides the process required to be followed for first-time voters who register to vote by mail.

Because of NVRA, the Legislature’s Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee had limited flexibility in writing the rules to implement Initiative 432. Three bills were introduced to deal with this issue, but ultimately Senator Brewer’s LB514 was amended and passed near the end of the session to set up the rules for enacting this initiative. This bill was hotly debated in the Committee but passed by an overwhelming majority when it reached the full Legislature. The Unicameral will continue to evaluate what changes need to be made to ensure our elections are fair, but in the end, this bill fulfills the requirements of Initiative 432 and falls within the guidelines of the NVRA.

One of my concerns from the beginning was to make certain that all eligible voters have access to vote and that everyone who wants to vote can do so with limited barriers. However, I have always believed that votes should only be cast by eligible voters and only be counted once. Voter ID, when crafted correctly, can increase election security without keeping eligible voters from exercising their rights.

Now that legislation has been passed, please remember that you need to bring a qualifying photo ID when you vote in all future elections. There are several qualifying photo IDs, including a driver’s license, military ID, and photo IDs issued by a Native American Tribe, an assisted living facility, a hospital, a skilled nursing facility, or a nursing home. There are also procedures to confirm the identity of those casting a provisional ballot.

As we get closer to Nebraska’s next election, the May 2024 primary, the Secretary of State’s office will post more information about the new Voter ID requirements at https://sos.nebraska.gov/elections/voter-id. In the meantime, the website includes a link to the final language of LB514. If you are interested in learning more about the federal NVRA, you can find a summary and a link to the full text through the U.S. Department of Justice’s site at https://www.justice.gov/crt/about-national-voter-registration-act#prov.

If you have questions about the Voter ID bill or other issues you’d like to discuss, please feel free to reach out to me directly at mjacobson@leg.ne.gov or 402-471-2729. I also look forward to seeing many of you in person as we travel throughout District 42 during the interim!