Online Voter Registration Frequently Asked Questions

 

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What are the requirements to register to vote in Nebraska?

You must:

• Be a United States Citizen;
• Live in the state of Nebraska;
• Be at least 18 years of age on or before the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November;
• Have not been convicted of a felony, or if convicted, you have completed your sentence for the felony, including any parole term;
• Have not been officially found to be mentally incompetent.

What is the registration deadline?

• Online applications must be submitted prior to midnight (11:59:59 p.m. Central Time) on the third Friday before the election.

What do I need to register online?

• The only thing you need is your Nebraska driver’s license or state-issued identification card.
• The online voter registration application is available for use on a computer, tablet or smart phone.

What if I don’t have a driver’s license or state-issued identification card?

• If you do not have a driver’s license or state-issued identification, you will need to register with a paper form. A fillable form is available at http://www.sos.ne.gov/elec/ele_forms.html. You can also find a paper application at any county election office, any Department of Motor Vehicle office, banks, libraries post offices and offices that offer state public assistance.
• Note: If you utilize a written voter application, you will be asked to submit proof of your current address (a copy of your utility bill, bank statement, etc.) as well as sign the application. Through the online process, information is checked with the Department of Motor Vehicles and your signature is retrieved and added to your voter application.

What if I’m enrolled in the Address Confidentiality Program?

• If you are a participant in Nebraska’s Address Confidentiality Program, please do not use the voter registration application. Instead, contact your county election official.

Is the online voter application available in other languages?

• Yes. There is a “Select Language” icon at the top right of the application page. Select it at any time to change the language to Spanish.

Why do I need to enter the information exactly as it appears on my driver’s license or state-issued identification?

• As part of the initial validation process, the information provided from your driver’s license or state-issued identification is matched against the data held by the Department of Motor Vehicles.
• If you have an exceptionally long first or last name, enter only that portion of your name that appears on your driver’s license or state-issued identification. The system will grab your entire name and include it on your voter registration application.
• If you are updating your voter registration due to a name change, you must ensure that your name change has been properly recorded with the Department of Motor Vehicles, or you will not be able to complete the online application.

Why are you asking for information related to my previous voter registration?

• This information is very helpful to county election offices as they seek to determine if there are duplicate voter registrations in Nebraska as well as other states and if you are still registered to vote in another location.
• If you are still registered to vote in another location, once you are properly registered, a cancellation notice will be sent to the previous county or state.

Why do you want my phone number(s) and email address?

• This information may be used to assist county election officials should they need to contact you regarding your voter registration application.
• As provided in state statute (Neb. Rev. Stat. §32-330), all information, unless marked private, becomes part of a public record and may be included in public service requests related to elections, political activities, voter registration, law enforcement or jury selection.

What if a new political party is certified to appear on the ballot – how do I change my party affiliation?

• You may change your party affiliation at any time. New political parties that qualify to appear on the ballot will be added as a choice on the online voter registration application after they are qualified.

In addition to party affiliation, what other information can I change through my online application?

• In short, you can change any information except the information checked and provided through the Department of Motor Vehicles: name, birthdate, driver’s license or state-issued identification number.
• On the Confirmation page, any fields with an “Edit” button can be updated.

What is the confirmation number?

• Once you complete or update your online voter registration application and you hit “Submit,” you will receive a confirmation number, which is located in the upper right hand corner of that page.
• If there is a problem with your registration, or you wish to check on its status, this number will help the county election official track down your application.

When I hit “submit” at the end of the online form, does that mean I’m registered to vote?

• No. All online applications must be reviewed and processed by the appropriate county election official.

Once I submit my application, what happens?

• All of your information is then forwarded to the appropriate county election office for review. Online applications go through the same verification process that paper applications go through.
• The county election office will ensure there are no duplicate registrations under your name, that your record doesn’t match any death records or potential incarceration notices and that you are registered within the proper county.
• The county election office will also make sure that your signature from the Department of Motor Vehicles was included in the online application. If there was any issue in obtaining your signature, the application will be forwarded to the Secretary of State’s office for further review and to reconcile any problems.
• Once your application is processed, the county election office will send an acknowledgement of registration to you via mail. That notice will indicate if your application was accepted, rejected or if there were any problems that need further clarification in order to process your application. You will receive an acknowledgement within 10-14 days.

Is this a secure process?

• There are multiple safeguards in place to ensure not only that information is stored and transmitted in a secure manner, but also that voter registrations cannot be manufactured in a fraudulent manner.

• Consider the following:

• In order to register or update your registration, you must have a valid Nebraska driver’s license or state-issued identification card. Manufactured data will not match any information on file with the Department of Motor Vehicles, thus preventing someone from randomly creating a voter registration.
• The system uses a CAPTCHA function in order to eliminate automated spam.
• The signature that is pulled from the Department of Motor Vehicles is not shared or reproduced in any way. It is electronically transmitted to the correct county election official using a secure process where it is combined with the online voter registration application for final verification. This process is more secure than utilizing a mail-in voter registration form in that there is no chance of it being lost in the mail and it doesn’t have to be scanned into the system by the county election official.
• As with a paper voter registration form, you must attest to the fact that information provided online is true and accurate. Falsifying information could result in a felony charge and result in a fine and imprisonment if found guilty.
• All information submitted online will be reviewed by the county election official before the application is given final approval. That person will conduct the appropriate checks to ensure there are no duplicate registrations or that the applicant is a convicted person or deceased.

I’m having problems completing my online voter registration?

• You can contact the Secretary of State – Elections Division at 402-471-2555 or toll free at 888-727-0007 or email sos.elect@nebraska.gov