New guidelines for county election practices were advanced from general file March 13.<\/p>\n
LB946, introduced by Gretna Sen. John Murante, makes numerous changes to the Election Act, including:
\n\u2022 requiring that workers appointed to the counting board for the purpose of counting ballots for school district bonds receive minimum wage;
\n\u2022 allowing for a special election for a Class IV or Class V school district to be held in conjunction with the primary or general election for a city of the primary or metropolitan class which is governed by a home rule charter; and
\n\u2022 allowing the election commissioner or county clerk to mail a notice explaining how to obtain a ballot in place of a ballot to all registered voters who have been sent a notice and failed to respond in a special election by mail.<\/p>\n
A Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee amendment, adopted 31-0, made three changes that would:
\n\u2022 change reporting thresholds in the Nebraska Political Accountability and Disclosure Act;
\n\u2022 delay from noon to 8 p.m. the deadline on election day for a voter to return the statement declaring the original early ballot was lost; and
\n\u2022 maintain current law preventing an election commissioner from holding elective office or becoming a candidate for elective office within six months after leaving office, which would have been removed by the original bill.<\/p>\n
The amendment also included provisions of four other bills:<\/p>\n
\u2022 LB726, introduced by Norfolk Sen. Jim Scheer, which would change the number of school board members for Class II and Class III school districts and outline their election procedures;
\n\u2022 LB743, introduced by Murante, which would specify when the second half of an elected official’s term begins;
\n\u2022 LB833, introduced by Fullerton Sen. Annette Dubas, which would define how county surveyors can be elected or appointed; and
\n\u2022 LB1084, introduced by Bellevue Sen. Tommy Garrett, which would clarify how city council vacancies are filled.<\/p>\n
The bill would go into effect Jan. 1, 2015.<\/p>\n
Lincoln Sen. Bill Avery brought an amendment to the committee amendment, adopted 30-0, which would allow any registered voter who was not a candidate in the primary election and who was not registered to vote with a party affiliation on or after March 1 and before the general election in the calendar year of the general election, to have his or her name placed on the general election ballot for a partisan office by filing petitions or by nomination by political party convention or committee.<\/p>\n
Murante also brought an amendment to the committee amendment, adopted 27-0, which would require presidential electors to take a pledge and cast a ballot for the presidential and vice presidential candidates who receive the highest number of votes in their district.<\/p>\n
Following adoption of a technical amendment, senators advanced the bill to select file on a 31-0 vote.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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