The countdown to Seward County’s May 12 primary election is nearing the end.
Seward County’s voters wanting to vote in the Seward County Clerk’s office can do so until the end of the day May 11. Early ballots must be returned to the courthouse or received via mail by 8 p.m. May 12.
In-person voting around the county runs from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. May 12.
Seward County Clerk and Election Commissioner Brandy Johnson said polling places and staff are lined up for the day. Her office scheduled three training sessions for poll workers this year due to the number of new people joining those ranks.
She reminds voters that if they requested an early ballot they must return their ballot to the courthouse, not their polling place. Occasionally, she said, a voter who requested an early ballot will show up at their polling place on Election Day seeking to vote there instead.
However, the ballot records will show that the person has already received a ballot, so another ballot will not be available.
“We do not usually have too much trouble with it,” Johnson said.
She also noted that though it is rarely an issue in Seward County, if a voter is still in line to vote at 8 p.m. when the polls are closing, they should stay and cast their ballot.
“I do not expect that to happen, but you never know,” Johnson said.
Voter registration for the primary has ended and Johnson said Seward County has 11,592 people eligible to cast their ballots.
Polling places remain the same for this election and Johnson said they will continue dividing the voting line alphabetically for Seward’s Ward 1 where lines have tended to be long.
Seward’s wards will again vote at the Ag Pavillion and Johnson said the GFWC Seward Woman’s Club is running a food stand there as long as supplies last.
Election day rules
in force
As always, voters cannot wear campaign clothing, hats or buttons for candidates or issues on the primary ballot when they come to vote.
In the past, campaign signs have not been allowed within 200 feet of polling places, but Nebraska regulations have changed to allow exceptions to that rule if the sign is on private property.
State law also prohibits petition circulators from being within that 200-foot zone around polling places also, which in Seward includes the parking area of the Ag Pavilion.
Johnson said Seward County voters have not had issues with providing their driver’s license or other identification to vote and that remains a requirement. But she said voters do not need to show their voter registration card.
Johnson said her office will begin posting results on the county website and other places after 8 p.m. on May 12. While the county can prepare and count early voting ballots cast starting May 11, they cannot report any results until just before the polls close.
Some of the election deadlines coming up are:
May 11 – Last day of early voting in person at the county clerk’s office
May 11 – First day Early Voting Counting Board may convene to begin counting early ballots.
May 12 – Statewide primary, polls open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., in-person requests for replacement ballots and the return of early ballots at county clerk’s office or secure ballot drop box by 8 p.m.
May 12 – Noon deadline for registered voter serving as an emergency response provider outside the voter’s county to request a ballot.
May 12 – 7 p.m. deadline for agent to pick up early voting ballot or for a person who becomes a naturalized citizen after May 1 to register and vote.
May 19 – Deadline for voters who completed provisional ballots because they did not present valid photographic identification when voting to present valid photo identification to county clerk’s office.
