Voters reported minimal issues with Nebraska's new voter ID requirements in the first election since the new law took effect.
The new requirements that voters show photo identification before casting a ballot raised questions about specific protocols, according to reports from election officials and observers.
For example, some voters raised concerns about their addresses being different on their IDs, but a current address was not required, the Secretary of State's Office said.
Most of the early voters who came to First Lutheran Church near 70th and A streets had their IDs ready to show, said Lee Hetrick, an inspector at precinct 10F-6.
"They've been walking in with it," Hetrick said Tuesday morning. "You don't have to ask for it, it's right there in front of you."
Annette Campbell, a poll inspector, said roughly 30 voters had moved through the line at precinct 10G-7, which also hosts voters at First Lutheran Church, without any issues.
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No one had been required to fill out a provisional ballot because they had forgotten to bring their ID, Campbell said.
Bob Batterman, who has voted at the site since 2000, said he was aware of the new requirement before he showed up to vote and commended the election workers on their teamwork and ability to move voters through efficiently.
Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen said the new voter ID requirement has rolled out without issue in the first election after the law was passed in 2023.
"County election officials are reporting smooth operations so far regarding the new voter ID implementation at polling places today," Evnen said Tuesday.
Most voters have shown a Nebraska driver's license or state-issued ID card to fill the requirement, Evnen added, and each polling place is staffed with election workers who have been trained on the new procedures.
Any questions have been answered by local election workers, Evnen said.
The education and outreach campaign has helped prepare voters before they cast their ballot, he added.
"We saw a smooth voter ID implementation during the early voting application process, and we expect that to continue on Election Day," Evnen said. "After the primary election, we will see how voters responded to the new requirement and modify our outreach campaign if needed."
In a news release Tuesday afternoon, the nonprofit group Civic Nebraska noted "a few instances" in Douglas and Cass counties where poll workers weren't sure if photo IDs with outdated addresses counted, but each instance was "quickly resolved." The law allows voters to present outdated or expired ID photo cards.
At First Lutheran Church, Robb Stephenson said he was aware of the new voter ID requirement through news reports and "didn't think too much of it" before showing up to vote Tuesday morning.
"I had no problem with it," Stephenson said. "It's the new rule. It's not going to prevent me from voting by any means."
While voters reported no problems with the new law, turnout in the Capital City was muted early in the day.
At the F Street Community Center, for example, which is the polling place for voters living in a narrow corridor stretching from A to O streets, fewer than 10 people had cast a ballot by 10:15 a.m.
"It's going very well," said precinct 5B-1 captain Roxanne Smith, "for nine people."
In other elections, Smith said 9-10 people would be waiting when polling started at 9 a.m.
Based on early voting returns and turnout trends in recent primary elections, Evnen had predicted that 35% of the state's 1.23 million registered voters would participate in Tuesday's primary election.Â
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Voters reported minimal issues with Nebraska's new voter ID requirements in the first election since the new law took effect.