Election procedures changed

Senators gave final approval April 20 to a bill that changes several election procedures and requirements.

LB499, introduced by Bellevue Sen. Scott Price, makes the following changes:

• harmonizes voter registration deadlines;
• requires that military voters include absent voters in addition to overseas voters;
• prohibits an elected official from running for the same office while he or she is in the middle of a term;
• requires a candidate petitioning to be placed on the ballot to file a sample copy of the petition with the filing officer prior to circulation;
• requires that affidavits to remove a person’s name from a petition be submitted by the time the petition is submitted for verification; and
• requires a voter who is present in his or her county on Election Day to vote at an assigned polling site, unless he or she is returning a ballot for early voting.

LB499 passed on a 45-0 vote.