When Americans vote early, they ensure that last-minute problems won’t prevent them from casting their ballots – and help shorten voting lines on Election Day for everyone. But voting early rules, both for in-person and by-mail options, vary widely all over the country, causing confusion and preventing voters from casting ballots.

Civic Nebraska is among hundreds of groups and individuals taking part in Vote Early Day on Oct. 28, a nonpartisan movement among media, businesses, nonprofits, election administrators, and creatives to ensure Americans have the tools to vote early. The statewide voting-rights organization will share early-voting resources at CivicNebraska.org and on social media to encourage Nebraskans to take steps to cast their 2022 ballots early.

Nebraska’s voters began submitting requests for an early mail-in ballot on July 11 for the Nov. 8 general election. Election officials began mailing out ballots to voters on Oct. 3. During the May 10 primary, nearly 45 percent of Nebraskans cast their vote early.

Early voters in Nebraska should know:

›› Nebraska is a “no-excuse” state, meaning any registered voter may request an early mail-in (absentee) ballot. You are not required to provide a reason.

›› You can apply for an early-voting ballot by contacting your county election office by mail or fax. Visit https://bitly.com/NebElexCommish to find your county’s election office.

›› Online, you also can print an early voting application, complete the form, and then mail, fax or scan/take its picture, then email the application to your county’s election office. The last day an early-voting application can be received for the general election is 6 p.m. CDT on Oct. 28.

›› You can vote early in person at your county election office through Nov. 7. Some county election offices offer extended hours for early voting; voters can contact their county election office directly for information about their hours.

Voter forms, including early voting applications, can be found here. Voters may also visit CivicNebraska.vote for information about voting by mail and CivicNebraska.org/election-2022 for key dates, dropbox locations, and answers to FAQs about the 2022 election.