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In 2024, Nebraska achieved a historic milestone: the restoration of voting rights for individuals who have served their time for a felony conviction! While previously, people with a felony conviction had to wait two years after the completion of their sentence to vote, the Nebraska legislature passed LB20, legislation that removed the waiting period.
This important change reflects our commitment to fairness and inclusivity in our democracy, ensuring that all voices are heard and every citizen has the opportunity to participate in the electoral process.
Unfortunately, now we’re faced with a new challenge to the voting rights of thousands of Nebraskans. Just two days before the new rules were set to go into effect, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers released an opinion stating it is his belief that the legislature does not have the ability to restore civil rights. This challenges both LB20 and the law that instituted the 2-year waiting period, LB53.
In response, Secretary of State Bob Evnen instructed county elections officials to not allow any person with a previous felony conviction to register to vote. Additionally, the eligibility of thousands of currently registered voters has been called into question.
In effect, Nebraska has been pulled back in time to a day when felony convictions barred people from voting for life unless they received a pardon. Conveniently, those pardons are handed out by a board of three people, the Nebraska Attorney General, Secretary of State, and Governor. Through a non-binding opinion, AG Hilgers has overridden the law, the work of the legislature, decades of voter registration, and secured control over civil rights in the hands of just a few powerful people.
Fortunately, Common Cause and our allies in the Voting Rights Restoration coalition aren’t giving up the fight. We’ll continue advocating for the full restoration of voting rights and are prepared to use every recourse we can.
If you or someone you know has been impacted by this change and wants more information about voting in Nebraska, please visit www.getmyvoteback.org. Your vote is your voice, and we are dedicated to ensuring every Nebraskan is heard in the process.
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