Nebraskans turned out in record fashion for the Nov. 3 election, with a total of 966,920 registered voters casting ballots.
The record high — 76% of registered voters took part in the democratic process — went off smoothly, Secretary of State Bob Evnen told the State Board of Canvassers on Monday.
The board, which in addition to Evnen includes Gov. Pete Ricketts, Treasurer John Murante, Chief Deputy Attorney General David Bydalek and State Auditor Charlie Janssen, unanimously certified the results.
"Our general election, by and large for the most part, and overwhelmingly so, was uneventful," Evnen said. "Particularly when compared with some other states."
Evnen lauded Nebraskans for being undaunted by the coronavirus pandemic in participating in the election, and thanked county election officials, precinct volunteers, state elections office employees and vendors for ensuring voters could cast a ballot safely and securely.
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"I am grateful to all of them, as I think Nebraskans should be grateful to them," Evnen said.
He added later there had been no allegations of fraud brought to the Secretary of State's office in the 2020 election cycle.
Four races qualified for an automatic recount under state law: Subdistricts 3 and 4 of the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District; Subdistrict 5 of the Lower Platte North NRD; and Subdistrict 1 of the Lower Elkhorn NRD.
Recounts were waived in three of the four races, however.
A recount in the Lower Platte North NRD, where David Lawrence and John Hannah were separated by a single vote — 9,821 to 9,820 — will take place Wednesday, with the state canvassing board scheduled to reconvene Friday to certify those results.
With certification of the other results, the 10-day clock begins for Ricketts to declare several ballot initiatives passed and in effect — Initiative 428, which caps payday loan rates at 36%, and Initiatives 429, 430 and 431, which authorize casino gaming at horse tracks, create a state gaming commission, and direct tax money to property tax relief.
Monday's results will be followed by the Dec. 14 vote of the Electoral College. Nebraska will split its votes for the second time, awarding President-elect Joe Biden a lone vote after he won Nebraska's 2nd congressional district.
Following the meeting, Ricketts echoed Evnen, saying he was confident in the state's election system throughout the process.
"Hearing we had a record number of voters and everything went smoothly … is a great testament to all their work," the governor said.
Ricketts said he won't push for any legislation to make Nebraska a winner-take-all state in the Electoral College, but said he would again support a bill if it's introduced in the Legislature beginning in January.
ELECTION RESULTS
Lincoln and Nebraska results for the 2020 general election
Statewide contests
Party | Candidate | Vote total |
---|---|---|
President | Joseph Biden, D | 359,757 |
Jo Jorgensen, L | 19,292 | |
Donald Trump, R | 536,229 | |
U.S. Senate | Chris Janicek, D | 216,887 |
Ben Sasse, R | 562,224 | |
Gene Siadek, L | 52,878 | |
Gambling, Initiative 429 | For | 566,886 |
Against | 305,883 | |
Gambling, Initiative 430 | For | 569,201 |
Against | 307,728 | |
Gambling, Initiative 431 | For | 598,546 |
Against | 273,243 | |
Payday lending | For | 698,704 |
Against | 144,346 | |
Remove slavery wording | For | 581,058 |
Against | 271,443 | |
Extend TIF 20 years | For | 500,903 |
Against | 319,675 | |
Congressional races
Race | Candidates | Vote totals |
---|---|---|
District 1 | Kate Bolz | 116,120 |
Jeff Fortenberry, R | 179,557 | |
Dennis Grace, L | 8,452 | |
District 2 | Donald Bacon, R | 162,087 |
Kara Eastman, D | 146,992 | |
Tyler Schaeffer, L | 9,423 | |
District 3 | Mark Elworth Jr., D | 49,771 |
Dustin Hobbs, L | 10,723 | |
Adrian Smith, R | 222,363 | |
Legislature
District | Candidate | Vote totals |
---|---|---|
1 | Janet Palmtag | 5,577 |
Julie Slama | 11,899 | |
3 | Rick Holdcroft | 8,582 |
Carol Blood | 8,779 | |
5 | Mike McDonnell | 6,559 |
Gilbert Ayala | 3,777 | |
7 | Tony Vargas | 6,819 |
Jorge Sotolongo | 1,919 | |
9 | John Cavanaugh | 8,003 |
Marque Snow | 6,690 | |
11 | Fred Conley | 3,330 |
Terrell McKinney | 5,820 | |
13 | Justin T. Wayne | 11,010 |
15 | David Rogers | 6,210 |
Lynne Walz | 9,157 | |
17 | Joni Albrecht | 7,343 |
Sheryl Lindau | 3,576 | |
19 | Mike Flood | 15,200 |
21 | Mike Hilgers | 9,895 |
Brodey Weber | 8,132 | |
23 | Bruce Bostelman | 11,287 |
Helen Raikes | 6,868 | |
25 | Suzanne Geist | 16,147 |
Stephany Pleasant | 8,104 | |
27 | Brenda Bickford | 5,448 |
Anna Wishart | 9,923 | |
29 | Eliot Bostar | 10,927 |
Jacob Campbell | 9,622 | |
31 | Rich Pahls | 10,197 |
Tim Royers | 9,093 | |
33 | Steve Halloran | 12,756 |
35 | Raymond M. Aguilar | 6,570 |
Dan Quick | 5,688 | |
37 | Mercadies Damratowski | 4,098 |
John Lowe Sr. | 12,774 | |
39 | Allison Heimes | 11,457 |
Lou Ann Linehan | 14,554 | |
41 | Tom Briese | 15,804 |
43 | Tom Brewer | 10,628 |
Tanya Storer | 7,691 | |
45 | Susan Hester | 7,671 |
Rita Sanders | 8,835 | |
47 | Steve Erdman | 14,901 |
49 | Jen Day | 12,125 |
Andrew La Grone | 11,873 |
State Board of Education
District | Candidate | Vote total |
---|---|---|
1 | Patsy Koch Johns | 90,917 |
2 | Robert Anthony | 37,612 |
Lisa Fricke | 68,950 | |
3 | Patti S. Gubbels | 51,079 |
Mike Goos | 24,082 | |
4 | Jacquelyn Morrison | 50,569 |
Adrian Petrescu | 17,653 | |
SCC Board of Governors
District | Candidate | Vote totals |
---|---|---|
At-large | Timothy R. Cerveny | 81,405 |
Neal Stenberg | 82,575 | |
1 | Chuck Byers | 17,329 |
Jeanne H. Stec | 15,268 | |
2 | Kathy Boellstorff | 20,349 |
Chad Aldrich | 15,415 | |
3 | Edward C. Price | 32,588 |
4 | Kristin E. Yates | 25,167 |
5 | Arlyn Uhrmacher | 41,327 |
Lower Platte South Natural Resources District board
Subdistrict | Candidate | Vote totals |
---|---|---|
1 | Don Jacobson | 11,941 |
2 | Ron Nolte | 12,778 |
3 | Mike DeKalb | 6,243 |
Kenneth Vogel | 6,177 | |
4 | Gary R. Aldridge | 9,201 |
LeRoy W. Sievers | 9,199 | |
5 | John Yoakum | 4,402 |
Greg Osborn | 2,618 | |
6 | Anthony Schutz | 10,257 |
7 | Chelsea Johnson | 8,933 |
8 | Christine Lamberty | 7,807 |
Christy Eichorn | 4,505 | |
9 | Milt Schmidt | 4,712 |
Lisa Lewis | 7,518 | |
10 | Ray A. Stevens Jr. | 6,528 |
Bastienne Salners | 5,268 | |
Public Service Commission
Race | Candidate | Vote total |
---|---|---|
District 2 | Tim Davis, R | 53,466 |
Crystal Rhoades, D | 88,891 |
NU Board of Regents
District | Candidate | Vote totals |
---|---|---|
1 | Tim Clare | 92,526 |
2 | Jack A. Stark | 96,770 |
County board; unofficial final results
District | Candidate | Vote total |
---|---|---|
2 | Eric Underwood, R | 10,250 |
Christa Yoakum, D | 11,436 | |
4 | Roma Amundson | 25,599 |
Area ballot questions; unofficial final results
Ballot question | For | Against |
---|---|---|
Hickman pool bonds | 491 | 815 |
Hickman sales tax | 484 | 808 |
Hallam sales tax | 60 | 71 |