CENTER – The 2024 primary election ballots will be mailed on April 24 to registered voters in by-mail-only counties, including Knox County.
New this year is that the ballots are folded so the mailing envelope and return brown ballot envelope are a smaller size (9 inches by 6 inches). Return postage is provided on the brown return envelope through a business permit established by the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office.
Another new process is voter identification. Voters will see under the flap on the back side of the brown return envelope the voter’s oath and a checklist.
The first area to be sealed is near the opening of the envelope so as to seal in the voted ballot. Then once the voter’s identification and voter’s signature areas are completed, the second area to seal is at the very top of the flap. This assures coverage of the voter’s ID information and signature.
Also, on the back side in the upper lefthand corner of the brown return envelope, people will see the area where the voter will write their driver’s license number or state identification number shown on their permits.
The driver’s licenses or state identifications that have expired are acceptable forms of ID. Photocopies of these permits are not required as the Knox County Clerk’s Office in Center will have computerized access to these permit numbers.
Voters in facilities such as assisted living ones or nursing homes may list their current or expired driver’s license number or state ID number.
If these voters do not have either of these permits or other acceptable identification, an assisted living facility or nursing home record that shows the resident’s picture and name (commonly referred to as a “face sheet”) needs to be enclosed with the voted ballot in the brown return envelope.
In this case, the second box in the voter’s identification area will need to be marked.
Other forms of acceptable ID are a Nebraska college ID (public or private); Nebraska political subdivision ID (state, county, city, public school, etc.); U.S. passport; military ID; or tribal ID.
Again, if these forms of identification are being used, the second box in the voter’s identification area will need to be marked.
Voters who are unable to obtain an acceptable form of photo ID due to a lack of birth certificate or other required documents and have an inability to obtain a birth certificate or other required documents without significant difficulty or expense can complete a reasonable impediment certification form. This also pertains to religious objection to being photographed.
If a reasonable impediment certification form is completed or needed, then the voter will mark the third box in the voter’s identification area on the brown return envelope and enclose the completed certification with the ballot.
The appointed Knox County Counting Board will begin opening returned ballot envelopes on May 10 to prepare the ballots for counting on Election Day, which is May 14.
If the brown return envelope has the second or third box marked in the voter’s identification area and the photocopy is not enclosed, this ballot envelope and ballot will be held so the voter can be contacted.
As per statute, this voter will have seven days after the election to provide to the county clerk’s office the photocopy of their acceptable form of identification or a reasonable impediment certification form.
If the voter returns their identification within that time period, their ballot will be counted during canvassing; however, if the identification is not returned within the seven days, the Knox County Canvassing Board will not count the ballot.
Due to the statutory extended time to return identification, the Canvassing Board will not convene until May 22 and official results will not be made until the Canvassing Board adjourns. Another area of importance on the back of the brown return envelope is the voter’s signature area in the upper right-hand corner. Voters must sign their brown return ballot envelope.
The county clerk’s office staff members verify each and every signature. If the signature cannot be verified, the voter is contacted, and if further verification cannot be made, the brown return envelope will not be opened, and the ballot cannot be counted. All discrepancies are submitted to the Knox County Attorney’s Office.
People are asked to call Knox County Clerk Joann Fischer at 402-288-5604 or email [email protected] with any questions they may have concerning the voting process.
