Nebraska 2026 elections

Contests on the board in Nebraska

The general-election contests the Ledger tracks in Nebraska, each with the raters' current call, the newest public polling and the money reported.

Candidate profiles from Nebraska

NE-SEN · Nebraska

Pete Ricketts

Nebraska's junior senator since 2023 and its governor for eight years before that; Republican nominee against independent Dan Osborn on November 3.

Read Pete Ricketts's recordThe race

Key dates and deadlines

Read from the Nebraska Secretary of State on Sep 17, 2026. The authority's own page, linked beside each date, is the final word — confirm it before you act.

• Voter registration deadline — onlineOctober 16, 2026, prior to midnight — last day a voter registration can be completed online. The state's online registration FAQ puts the cutoff at 11:59:59 p.m. Central Time. sos.nebraska.gov
• Voter registration deadline — by mail or at the DMVOctober 16, 2026 — postmark deadline for mailed-in voter registrations. October 16 is also the last day to complete a registration at the DMV, by close of business. sos.nebraska.gov
• Voter registration deadline — in person at the county election officeOctober 23, 2026, at 6 PM — last day for in-person voter registration at the county clerk or election commissioner's office. sos.nebraska.gov
• Early voting ballots ready to be mailedSeptember 28, 2026 — deadline for county election offices to have early voting ballots ready for delivery by mail. sos.nebraska.gov
• In-person early voting startsOctober 5, 2026 — first day for early voting in person at the county clerk or election commissioner office. sos.nebraska.gov
• In-person early voting endsNovember 2, 2026 — last day for early voting in person at the county clerk or election commissioner office. sos.nebraska.gov
• Deadline to request an early voting ballot by mailOctober 23, 2026, at 6 PM — last day for the county election office to receive an application for an early voting ballot to be mailed out. sos.nebraska.gov
• Deadline to return an early voting ballot (received, not postmarked)November 3, 2026, 8 PM CT (7 PM MT) — an early voting ballot returned by mail must be in the possession of the county clerk or election commissioner by then. The same deadline applies to ballots returned in person, by agent or in a secure ballot drop-box. sos.nebraska.gov
• Election DayNovember 3, 2026 — Statewide General Election Day. sos.nebraska.gov
• Poll hoursNovember 3, 2026 — polls open at 8 AM CT (7 AM MT) and close at 8 PM CT (7 PM MT). sos.nebraska.gov

Official voting tools

These links go to the state's own tools. The Ledger does not collect registrations or ballots.

Rules to know

• What to bring

  Nebraska requires voters to present photo ID. Accepted: Nebraska driver's license or state ID (from the DMV); Nebraska college ID (public or private); Nebraska political subdivision ID (state, county, city, public school, etc.); U.S. passport; military ID; tribal ID; or a hospital, assisted-living facility, nursing home, hospice or other listed care-facility record that contains the voter's name and photo. The ID must have your name and photo, and it can be expired. A voter with a reasonable impediment to obtaining photo ID may complete a Reasonable Impediment Certification. The Nebraska DMV issues a free state ID for voting purposes. Read from: sos.nebraska.gov

• Voting early by mail

  Any registered voter may request an early voting (absentee) ballot; no reason is required. Send the Early Voting Ballot Application to your county clerk or election commissioner by mail, fax, or an emailed scan or picture of the signed form, with your Nebraska driver's license or state ID number, or a photocopy of other acceptable photo ID or a reasonable impediment certification. The ballot must arrive at the county election office by the close of polls on Election Day — by mail, in person, by agent or in a county drop box — and can be tracked in VoterCheck. Per the Secretary of State's Election Day FAQ, 11 counties conduct all elections by mail and voters there receive ballots automatically: Boone, Cedar, Cherry, Clay, Dawes, Dixon, Garden, Knox, Merrick, Morrill and Stanton. Read from: sos.nebraska.gov

• Voting early in person

  Early in-person voting takes place at your county election office (the county clerk or election commissioner). For the November 3, 2026 general election it runs from October 5 through November 2, 2026, the Monday before Election Day. Present an acceptable photo ID, as at the polls. Office addresses and contact details are in the Secretary of State's county election office directory. Read from: sos.nebraska.gov

• If you vote without ID

  A registered voter who arrives without acceptable photo ID may go home to retrieve it and return before the polls close to vote a regular ballot. Otherwise the voter is offered a provisional ballot, which counts only if the voter presents acceptable ID to the county election office, in person, on or before the Tuesday following the election — November 10, 2026, on the state's election calendar. Read from: sos.nebraska.gov

• Voting after a felony conviction

  The Secretary of State states that voting rights are restored upon the completion of incarceration plus any period of parole or probation; the person then needs to submit a new voter registration application. A person convicted of treason must apply for a restoration of civil rights before registering to vote. Read from: sos.nebraska.gov

• Language and accessibility help

  A voter who does not understand the language spoken at the polling place, or the language in which the ballot is written, may use an interpreter. Voters may request assistance from a person of their choice or from two members of the receiving board; the ExpressVote device lets voters with disabilities mark ballot cards privately and independently, and a voter physically unable to enter the polling place may vote curbside from a vehicle. The Secretary of State also publishes the voter registration form, the early voting application and voter ID materials in Spanish, and VoterCheck has a Spanish version. Read from: sos.nebraska.gov

On the statewide ballot

Offices on the November 3, 2026 statewide ballot, per the Nebraska Secretary of State:

U.S. Senate · U.S. House (Districts 1, 2 and 3) · Governor and Lieutenant Governor · Secretary of State · State Treasurer · Attorney General · Auditor of Public Accounts

Questions and answers