As voters, we are vested with awesome power. But if we don’t use it, we lose it. The right to vote is never guaranteed, which is why Civic Nebraska amplifies, champions, and relentlessly defends it. Our Voting Rights Initiatives team is in the streets, neighborhoods, and the halls of power to grow the electorate, support pro-voter policies, and protect ballot access for every Nebraskan. 

In 2023, those efforts included:

›› Following November 2022’s mandate directing the Nebraska Legislature to impose new identification requirements on all voters, Civic Nebraska got to work to ensure no one was disenfranchised. The result was LB514, far and away the most accommodating of the proposals offered by state senators. In 2024, Civic Nebraska will focus on educating voters about the new law’s effects.

›› We brought national voting-rights leader Desmond Meade to Nebraska to advocate for LB20, a bill to end our state’s arbitrary two-year waiting period for those formerly convicted of a felony to vote. LB20 easily moved out of committee to the statehouse floor, where it will be considered in 2024. We’re committed to getting LB20 across the finish line and signed into law.

›› Our nonpartisan voting-rights advocates canvassed Lincoln leading up to the city’s municipal and mayoral elections, providing voters information about registering as well as the various methods of casting a ballot. All told, the team made nearly 5,000 phone calls, knocked on nearly 1,000 doors, and sent more than 21,000 texts.

Voting is not just a solitary act. It’s a collective affirmation of our rights and responsibilities. And when we all participate, voting reaches well beyond Election Day by fortifying the foundations of our democracy. Every day and in every way, our Voting Rights Initiatives ensure that this foundation is solid for generations to come.