Voter suppression in Nebraska now has a number. On Sept. 12, the Secretary of State’s Office announced that a proposed rewrite of the Nebraska Constitution will appear on the Nov. 8 general ballot as Initiative Measure 432.
You can visit NoTo432.org for a long list of reasons why imposing strict voter ID restrictions on every eligible Nebraska voter is a reckless and harmful idea. And if you’re looking for more numbers about this ill-advised scheme, here are a few:
I-22
The section of the Nebraska Constitution that the politicians behind Initiative 432 want to rewrite to impose strict voter ID restrictions in Nebraska. The clause was written amid a fight between Congress and President Andrew Johnson over whether all people – or only whites – in our new state would have the right to vote. Congress said everyone, Johnson disagreed; Congress won the showdown by overriding his veto of legislation admitting Nebraska into the Union. As such, we have one of the most powerful voter protections of any state Constitution, and it has stood the test of time. This hasty rewrite will serve to restrict all voters, but especially senior Nebraskans, highly mobile young people, low-income residents, many women, and many members of our minority communities.
54,500
The estimated minimum number of voting-age Nebraskans who do not have a valid, government-issued ID that would be required to vote under Initiative 432. That number jumps to nearly 70,000 if you include those who only carry temporary learners’ permits issued by the DMV. Neither figure, however, accounts for Nebraskans who may have moved, gotten married, changed their name, gotten glasses, lost significant weight, or had any other life change that isn’t reflected on their current driver’s license. That’s the difference between having a current ID that allows you to drive and a valid ID, which politicians can define in very narrow ways.
$29
The cost for a state-issued ID in Nebraska. Forcing citizens to pay a fee in order to vote is akin to a poll tax, a disgraceful (and illegal) relic of Jim Crow that should remain buried under the progress of voting rights.
$2.9
million
The most recent estimate, from 2018, of what it would cost Nebraska taxpayers to foot the bill for voter ID restrictions like the ones proposed in Initiative 432. That’s just for the first year alone, by the way.
$750K
The most recent estimate, from 2018, of what it would cost Nebraska taxpayers each and every year to foot the bill for voter ID restrictions like the ones proposed in Initiative 432 – money that could otherwise go to highways, state parks, infrastructure, or tax reform.
25
million
The number of ballots Nebraskans have cast in statewide primary and general elections in the past 50 years.
Zero
Prosecutions for voter impersonation fraud that any official, pro- or anti-voter ID, can recall in Nebraska during that time.
IV
The class of felony in Nebraska covering voter impersonation. Class IV felonies carry punishment of up to two years in prison and one year of post-release supervision, and up to a $10,000 fine. Is that a risk worth taking?
42
The number of states, some with voter ID and others without, where it would be easier to vote than in Nebraska if Initiative 432 passes. Remember, when you hear “Everyone’s doing it, why aren’t we?”, that all voter ID laws around the country are not the same – and Nebraska’s would be among the worst.
Let’s not vote away our ability and opportunity to cast our ballots in future elections. Vote AGAINST Initiative 432.
