Your Vote is Your Voice!
Now more than ever, your voice is needed to ensure equality for our gay and transgender neighbors. Over the last year, over 300 pieces of anti-gay or anti-trans legislation have been introduced around the country.
Here in our own state, lawmakers and candidates are using LGBTQ+ issues to drive voters on other issues. Your vote is your voice, so make sure to vote on November 8th!
Find your polling place here. Polls will be open on General Election Day, Tuesday, November 8, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST and 7 a.m to 7 p.m. MT.
Research Tips
Become an informed voter! When you understand the initiatives and candidates on your ballot, you make informed voting decisions and use your vote more effectively. It can be hard to know where to start, so we’ve broken down some resources for you.
Nonpartisan voter guides (like this one) are presented without bias or preference to parties or candidates. They help you sort through information and often have questionnaires filled out by the candidates.
You can find voter guides from:
- The League of Women Voters
- The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to protect and expand voting rights and ensure everyone is represented in our democracy. They have compiled guides for all 11 Nebraska counties: Adams, Buffalo, Cass, Dodge, Douglas, Douglas en Español, Hall, Lancaster, Lincoln, Madison, Sarpy and Scotts Bluff.
- You can also go to www.vote411.org to find interactive, nonpartisan voter guides.
- Decoding the Ballot
- Our friends at Civic Nebraska have a great decoding the ballot resource that helps you know what the offices you’re voting on do, and how these decisions impact our community.
- Ballotpedia
- Ballotpedia is a nonpartisan online political encyclopedia that covers federal, state, and local politics, elections, and public policy.
- Local newspapers
You can also do research on candidates and issues by going to their websites. Most candidates have a section on their campaign website about different issues that matter to us and our communities.
Our Voting Guide
To supplement these other voting resources, we have pulled information on candidates for governor, congress, state school board, and the Nebraska legislature and their stances on LGBTQ+ equality. We’ve also linked each of the candidate’s websites below so you can do more research.
Ballot Initiatives
In addition to candidates, we are voting on 2 important ballot initiatives. We support more Nebraskans being able to provide for ourselves and our families, and we oppose any effort to restrict our access to voting.
Let’s break down the ballot initiatives:
Initiative 432
What will it say on the ballot?
A vote “FOR” will amend the Nebraska Constitution to require that, before casting a ballot in any election, a qualified voter shall present valid photographic identification in a manner specified by the Legislature.
A vote ”AGAINST” means the Nebraska Constitution will not be amended in this manner.
Shall the Nebraska Constitution be amended to require that, before casting a ballot in any election, a qualified voter shall present valid photographic identification in a manner specified by the Legislature?
Voting options
Yes – For the measure (would require the legislature to implement photo ID requirements to vote)
No – Against the measure (would uphold current voting requirements)
To protect our right to vote, VOTE AGAINST Initiative 432.
Initiative 432 only exists to make voting harder for Nebraskans, and unfairly targets marginalized communities like our transgender community, rural voters, elderly Nebraskans, and young people.
We’re concerned the strict voter ID proposed by this initiative – which is stricter than almost every other state – could have a lot of unintended consequences on voting at the polls and voting by mail. The last thing we want is for eligible voters to be denied the right to vote due to a technicality.
We also know Nebraska photo ID also costs money. Either we have to pay it at the election office, or we pay for it as taxpayers. It’s estimated this measure would cost $3 million in the first year, and $1 million every year after that to maintain.
Learn more about how Initiative 432 makes it harder for communities to vote here.
Initiative 433
What will it say on the ballot?
A vote “FOR” will amend the Nebraska statute establishing a minimum wage for employees to increase the state minimum wage from nine dollars ($9. 00) per hour to ten dollars and fifty cents ($10. 50) per hour on January 1, 2023, to twelve dollars ($12.00) per hour on January 1, 2024, to thirteen dollars and fifty cents ($13.50) per hour on January 1, 2025, and to fifteen dollars ($15.00) per hour on January 1, 2026, to be adjusted annually thereafter to account for increases in the cost of living.
A vote “AGAINST” means the Nebraska statute establishing a minimum wage for employees will not be amended in such manner.
Shall the Nebraska statute establishing a minimum wage for employees be amended to increase the state minimum wage from nine dollars ($9.00) per hour to ten dollars and fifty cents ($10.50) per hour on January 1, 2023, to twelve dollars ($12.00) per hour on January 1, 2024, to thirteen dollars and fifty cents ($13.50) per hour on January 1, 2025, and to fifteen dollars ($15.00) per hour on January 1, 2026, to be adjusted annually thereafter to account for increases in the cost of living?
Voting options
Yes – For the measure (would gradually increase Nebraska’s minimum wage and tie future increases to the cost of living)
No – Against the measure (would uphold current minimum wage)
To help Nebraska communities thrive, VOTE FOR Initiative 433
Initiative 433 gradually raises the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026, giving small businesses the time needed to adjust while meeting the needs of Nebraskans. Our communities would directly benefit from better wages, allowing parents to feed their children, families to find and keep housing, and workers to pay medical bills.
Nearly 300 Nebraska businesses have signed their support behind Initiative 433 because they know better wages means more engaged workers and more spending money for customers.
Learn more about how Initiative 433 will benefit our communities here.
Governor
Jim Pillen (R)
|
Carol Blood (D)
|
House of Representatives
Incumbents noted with an asterisk (*)
1st Congressional District
Mike Flood* (R)
|
Patty Pansing-Brooks (D)
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2nd Congressional District
Don Bacon* (R)
|
Tony Vargas (D) |
3rd Congressional District
Adrian Smith* (R)
|
David Else (D)
|
Mark Elworth Jr. (Legal Marijuana Now Party)
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State Board of Education
Incumbents noted with an asterisk (*)
District 5 | |
Kirk Penner*
|
Helen Raikes |
District 6 | |
Danielle Helzer
|
Sherry Jones
|
District 7 | |
Robin Stevens* | Elizabeth Tegtmeier
|
District 8 | |
Marni Hodgen
|
Deborah Neary*
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State Legislature
Incumbents noted with an asterisk (*)
District 2 | |
Robert Clements*
|
Sarah Slattery
|
District 4 | |
R. Brad von Gillern
|
Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek
|
District 6 | |
Machaela Cavanaugh*
|
Christian Mirch
|
District 8 | |
Marilyn Asher | Megan Hunt*
|
District 10 | |
Wendy DeBoer*
|
Lou Ann Goding
|
District 12 | |
Robin Richards
|
Merv Riepe
|
District 14 | |
John Arch* | Cori Villegas
|
District 16 | |
Ben Hansen*
|
Connie Petersen |
District 18 | |
Christy Armendariz
|
Michael Young
|
District 20 | |
Stuart Dornan
|
John Fredrickson
|
District 22 | |
Mike Moser* | Roy Zach
|
District 24 | |
Patrick Hotovy
|
Jana Hughes
|
District 26 | |
Russ Barger
|
George Dungan III
|
District 28 | |
Roy Christensen | Jane Raybould |
District 30 | |
Myron Dorn* | Unopposed |
District 32 | |
Tom Brandt* | Unopposed |
District 34 | |
Loren Lippincott
|
Michael Reimers
|
District 36 | |
Rick Holdcroft
|
Angie Lauritsen
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District 38 | |
Tyler Cappel
|
Dave Murman*
|
District 40 | |
Barry DeKay
|
Keith Kube
|
District 42 | |
Chris Bruns
|
Michael Jacobson*
|
District 44 | |
Teresa Ibach | Unopposed |
District 46 | |
James Michael Bowers | Danielle Conrad
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District 48 | |
Brian Hardin | Don Lease II
|