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With less than a week before the presidential election, Nebraska Public Media's Dale Johnson sat down with Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen to talk about the final days of preparations.
Dale Johnson: Early voting has been underway for a while now. Mr. Secretary, how does it look compared to previous years?
Bob Evnen: 357,000 ballots have been sent to Nebraska voters, which is a lot, but still lower than 2020. So far, we've had 229,000 of those returned and accepted at the county election offices. So 229,000 people have voted, their ballots are in and have been accepted.
Johnson: Five ballot initiatives and a referendum are on this ballot. How has a loaded, issues-oriented ballot impacted this election cycle?
Evnen: It's hard to say what sort of impact it has, but I will tell you that there are more ballot measures on the on the ballot here than we've ever had, and they've generated a great deal of interest. Two of them are diametrically opposed to one another. We've never had that on our ballot before, so there's a complication there. But six is a record for the number of ballot measures on a Nebraska general election ballot.
Johnson: A conversation that keeps coming up, how did the numbers get to be those numbers in that particular order? And if you wouldn't mind explaining, simply random.
Evnen: It's random. It's a random draw. The sponsors of the measures were all notified of the date and time when we would have that draw, and they were invited to be present.
Johnson: There are dueling reproductive rights issues on the ballot, as you mentioned, so a hypothetical: What if both 434 and 439 get enough votes to pass?
Evnen: 434 is titled “protect women and children,” 439 is entitled “protect the right to abortion.” These are both proposed constitutional amendments, amendments to the Nebraska State Constitution. If they both pass, then the governor has to decide whether they're in conflict. I don't think that there's any question that these two proposals, 434 and 439, are diametrically opposed to each other. They're completely in conflict. So then the question is, if they both win, which one goes into the Constitution? The answer is the one that gets more raw votes. So the one that got the most yes votes, the most for votes, is the one that would go into the Constitution if they both win.
Johnson: As far as election security is concerned, you were at the tip of the spear going into 2022 on the often-asked question about election security, and in the end, you determined it was safe and that it was accurate here in Nebraska. What about this one? Will there be security? Have you taken steps that are different for this election, overtly that the public might notice?
Evnen: We're ready to provide security if it's needed. Whether it's needed has to do with whether or not we receive communications that are threatening.
Johnson: Have you to this point?
Evnen: Well, several weeks ago, we received an envelope that you know had a pretty pointed message in it and contained a white powder. We went through our protocols for this. We recognized it as a suspicious envelope. The State Patrol was involved. The Lancaster County Health Department was involved. It turned out that this white powder was nothing. It was common, a substance that was not harmful in any way. We're looking out for that sort of thing. Several weeks ago, we received a communication that was threatening, which we turned over to the authorities. So there's a certain amount of this that we're looking at, and we'll keep an eye on this. We also have tabletop exercises, which are not limited to threats, but also other sorts of things that could interfere with the conduct of the election. We're working with agencies that are specifically in support of those efforts. We're ready. We're prepared, and I'm very confident that the election officials across the state of Nebraska will give Nebraskans a fair, secure and accurate election.
Johnson: After the election, there's certification. What role do you play in election certification?
Evnen: The Secretary of State's Office collects the certifications from the counties and puts them all together. Then we'll have a canvas board meeting where the results will be certified, and we'll have a meeting of our electors with respect to the presidential race.
Johnson: Any other points that have your attention this close to the election?
Evnen: I encourage registered voters in Nebraska to study the candidates, study the issues, and make your voice heard on election day.
Johnson: There you go. All you have to do now is get out and vote on Nov. 5 and listen for election results, starting at 6 p.m. Central on election evening here on Nebraska Public Media. Sir, thank you very much. You're busy this time of year.
Evnen: Great to be with you.
Johnson: Appreciate your time. Secretary of State Bob Evnen, and here on Nebraska Public Media, I'm Dale Johnson.