Independent Voter
Resource Page
Nebraska’s closed primary system can be tricky to navigate for voters who aren’t registered with a political party. We want to provide information relevant to Independent voters as they request their ballots for the upcoming 2024 primaries on May 14th.
What Is On My Ballot as an Independent Voter?
As a nonpartisan (Independent) voter, you are able to participate in Nebraska’s primary elections. Unfortunately, the options available on your ballot are more limited compared to voters registered with a political party.
Because Nebraska has closed primary elections, political parties can designate some offices that require party affiliation to vote for and which ones do not.
The type of office up for election determines which candidates will appear on your ballot. All voters- including Independents- are able to vote for nonpartisan offices during the primaries. The Nebraska Legislature is the top example of a nonpartisan office, as the Unicameral operates as a nonpartisan governing body and its primary elections are also nonpartisan.
Utilities Districts, Board of Education, Learning Community and the Natural Resources Districts are other examples of offices considered nonpartisan and available on all ballots, regardless of partisan or nonpartisan registration.
You are not able to vote for partisan offices as an Independent voter, with the exception of Congressional representatives.
Offices considered partisan in Nebraska include:
- President
- Governor
- State Treasurer
- Secretary of State
- County Board
- County Attorney
- County Clerk
What Are My Options?
Only political party members are able to vote for those partisan offices, unless the party decides to open their ballot. The Nebraska Democratic Party opened their partisan ballot in 2014 and will continue to in 2024. The Nebraska Republican Party does not feature an open partisan ballot.
Here are the examples choices available to you, depending on your registration:
If you are registered as an Independent but would like to vote in a political party’s primary, you have several options. You can request a partisan ballot from one of the parties that opens their ballot to Independent voters at the ballot box on Election Day.
If you would like to change your registration in order to vote on a partisan ballot from one of the parties that is closed to Independents, you must change registration by:
April 26th- Deadline to change registration online, by mail, by agent, at the DMV or other agencies that process voter registration.
May 3rd- Last day to change registration in-person at your local Election Office.
