Dear friends,
We know many of you are experiencing heightened anxiety as we wait for the Nebraska Supreme Court’s decision on voting rights for Nebraskans with past felony convictions. With every week that passes without a ruling, the uncertainty grows. We understand the difficulty of waiting, but we remain optimistic. We still expect to be able to register voters when the court rules – the only question is how much time we will have.
As you can imagine, this unpredictability weighs on us, as well. Our partner organizations have fielded hundreds of calls and emails from Nebraskans who just want to know whether they can vote in this election. We know those calls and emails will only grow. By questioning the constitutionality of our state’s voter restoration laws, Nebraska’s attorney general and secretary of state have created significant confusion for tens of thousands of Nebraskans in these critical few weeks ahead of Election Day.
We are doing everything possible to prepare for any outcome. Here’s where things stand:
- The Court typically issues rulings on Friday mornings and has not included this voting rights case in its opinions released today [Oct. 4]. That means if it issues a decision at its likely next date – Friday, Oct. 11 – and we win, we will have about a week to help eligible Nebraskans register online before the state’s Friday, Oct. 18, online voter registration deadline.
- If the ruling comes on Friday, Oct. 18, and we win, we will have less than 24 hours to guide affected voters to the online registration portal. However, we will communicate widely and clearly about what you must do and ensure that voters have information about in-person registration.
- If the Court waits until Friday, Oct. 25 – the day of the state’s in-person registration deadline – we will have only a few hours following a victory to register everyone before the 6 p.m. cutoff.
No matter when the ruling comes, we are ready to act swiftly. We’ve developed a plan to mobilize volunteers and staff, run voter registration drives, and get the word out through every available channel. When we have clarity, we will work to ensure that every eligible voter can be registered without delay.
We need you to be ready to act, too. Please stay connected with the Nebraska Voting Rights Restoration Coalition at GetMyVoteBack.org so all eligible Nebraskan voices are heard this November.
Thank you for your resilience and your readiness. Together, we will overcome this challenge.
