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Note: This article is not intended to serve as a guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact theirstate election agencies for further information.

In order to get on the ballot in Nebraska, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines.These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.

1. An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
3. An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Nebraska. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates,click here. Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contactstate election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).

TheNebraska Legislature is the only state legislature in the United States that operates as aunicameral body. Consequently, the legislature is often referred to as "the unicameral" or "the uni" by state residents (see"State legislature" below for more information). It is also the only legislature that specifically requires candidates to run on nonpartisan ballots.

Seestate election laws

Year-specific filing information

2026

See also:Signature requirements and deadlines for 2026 U.S. Congress elections andNebraska elections, 2026

U.S. Senate

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in Nebraska in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Nebraska, clickhere.

U.S. House

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Nebraska in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Nebraska, clickhere.

Governor

The table below details filing requirements for gubernatorial candidates in Nebraska in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Nebraska, clickhere.

State Senate

The table below details filing requirements for Nebraska State Senate candidates in the 2026 election cycle.

State Supreme Court

The table below details filing requirements for state supreme court candidates in Nebraska in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Nebraska, clickhere.

For filing information from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.

Process to become a candidate

See also:Nebraska signature requirements

For all candidates

According to the Nebraska Secretary of State, every prospective candidate must complete and submit a candidate filing form (which includes a candidate statement that must be signed) and provide for the payment of the filing fee. For state offices, the candidate must submit a statement of financial interests. A candidate for federal office must submit a financial statement according to Federal Election Commission instructions.^[2]

Filing fees vary by office and are established byChapter 32, Section 608, of the Nebraska Revised Statutes.^[3][4]

If the office for which the candidate is filing pays only a per diem (i.e., an allowance for expenses incurred as a result of fulfilling an office's duties) or a salary of less than $500 per year, the filing fee is waived. In addition, no filing fee is required of any candidate who completes an affidavit requesting to filein forma pauperis (i.e., a person whose "income and other resources for maintenance are found to be insufficient for meeting the cost of his or her requirements and whose cash or other available resources do not exceed the maximum available resources that an eligible individual may own").^[3]

For partisan candidates

See statutes:Chapter 32, Section 610 of the Nebraska Revised Statutes

To be eligible for inclusion on a partisan primary ballot, a candidate must be a registered voter of the party, if so required. A partisan candidate must complete the aforementioned paperwork and pay the filing fees required of all candidates.^[5]

For independent candidates

See statutes:Chapter 32, Section 616 of the Nebraska Revised Statutes

Any registered voter who was not a candidate in the primary election and who was not registered to vote with a party affiliation on or before March 1 in the calendar year of the general election may have his or her name placed on the general election ballot either by petition or nomination by political party convention or committee. The number of signatures required for nominating petitions varies by office (see below table for more information).^[6][7]

For further information regarding petition requirements, seebelow.

Petition requirements

See also:Methods for signing candidate nominating petitions

See statutes:Chapter 32, Section 628 of the Nebraska Revised Statutes

In some cases, candidates may need to obtain signatures via the petition process to gain access to the ballot. This section outlines the laws and regulations pertaining to petitions and circulators in Nebraska.

Format requirements

All petitions must meet specific formal requirements.^[8]

• Space for signature must be at least 2.5 inches long; space for written name must be least 2 inches long.
• Sufficient space must be left for birth date and address.
• Lines on each petition cannot be less than 0.25 inches apart.
• Petitions may be designed so that lines for signatures and other information run the length of the page instead of the width.
• Petitions should include no more than 20 signatures per page.

Language requirements

Every sheet of every petition containing signatures must include the following statements "printed in boldface type in substantially the following form:"

Circulation requirements

Petition circulators must be at least 18 years old.^[10]

The relevant statutes do not stipulate a date on which petitions may begin to circulate.

Contact information

Election agencies

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

See also:State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in Nebraska can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.

Nebraska Election Officials

Click here for a list

Nebraska Secretary of State, Elections Division

Physical Address: 301 S. 13th Street, Suite 410

Lincoln, Nebraska 68508

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 94608

Lincoln, Nebraska 68509-4608

Phone: 402-471-2555

Fax: 402-471-7834

Email:sos.elect@ne.gov

Website:https://sos.nebraska.gov

Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission

Physical Address: Centre Terrace Bldg, 1225 L St, Suite 400

Lincoln, Nebraska 68508

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 95086

Lincoln, Nebraska 68509

Phone: 402-471-2522

Email:nadc@nebraska.gov

Website:https://nadc.nebraska.gov

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20001

Phone: 301-563-3919

Toll free: 1-866-747-1471

Email:clearinghouse@eac.gov

Website:https://www.eac.gov

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Do you need information about elections inyour area? Are you looking foryour local election official?Click here to visit theU.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool.

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Term limits

State executives

See also:State executives with term limits andStates with gubernatorial term limits

The state executive term limits inNebraska areas follows:

• Thegovernor may serve two consecutive terms but then must wait four years after the term expires to serve again.
• Thelieutenant governor may serve two consecutive terms but then must wait four years after the term expires to serve again.
• Thestate treasurer may serve two consecutive terms but then must wait four years after the term expires to serve again.

State legislature

See also:State legislatures with term limits

Nebraska voters approved aconstitutional amendment on November 7, 2000, thatprohibits state legislators from serving more than two consecutive four-year terms. After four years have passed since the end of their most recent term, legislators may serve again.

The Nebraska Legislature was initially a bicameral body. Nebraska politician George Norris argued for a unicameral legislature, citing inefficiencies and inequities in the bicameral system as cause for making the transition. In 1934, aconstitutional amendment was passed revoking the House of Representatives and vesting that body's duties and powers with the Senate. Formally designated as the Nebraska Legislature, the body is more commonly referred to as "the Unicameral." State legislators are usually called "senators."^[11]

Congressional partisanship

See also:List of United States Representatives from Nebraska andList of United States Senators from Nebraska

Below is the current partisan breakdown of the congressional delegation fromNebraska.

State legislative partisanship

TheNebraska Legislature is a nonpartisan body.

Noteworthy events

2018

On June 14, 2018, JudgeJohn Gerrard, of theUnited States District Court for the District of Nebraska, issued an order striking down the state statute establishing petition requirements for independent candidates for partisan office in Nebraska. Prior to Gerrard's order, state law required an independent candidate to collect signatures equaling 10 percent of all registered voters eligible to vote for the office being sought by the candidate. With this statute having been struck down, the prior statute, establishing a 4,000 signature requirement, went into effect. Gerrard's order came after both parties to the suit (including John Gale, in his capacity as secretary of state, and the plaintiffs who brought the original suit) agreed that the 10 percent signature requirement was unconstitutional.^[12][13][14]

Related legislation

The table below lists bills related to ballot access requirements for candidates that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in Nebraska. The following information is included for each bill:

• State
• Bill number
• Official bill name or caption
• Most recent action date
• Legislative status
• Sponsor party
• Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page onBallotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.

The Ballot Bulletin

TheBallot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy. The Ballot Bulletin tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from ourElection Administration Legislation Tracker. You'll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves.

Recent issues

Click below to view recent issues of The Ballot Bulletin.

• The Ballot Bulletin: February 13, 2026
• The Ballot Bulletin: February 6, 2026
• The Ballot Bulletin: January 30, 2026
• The Ballot Bulletin: January 23, 2026
• The Ballot Bulletin: January 16, 2026

Subscribe

Enter your email address below to subscribe to The Ballot Bulletin.

See also

• Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Nebraska
• Ballot access requirements for political parties in Nebraska
• Nebraska elections, 2026
• Campaign finance requirements in Nebraska
• Counties in Nebraska
• List of United States Representatives from Nebraska
• List of United States Senators from Nebraska
• Methods for signing candidate nominating petitions
• State executives with term limits
• States with gubernatorial term limits
• State legislatures with term limits

External links

Official state and federal links

• Nebraska Secretary of State
• Federal Election Commission
• Nebraska Secretary of State, "Information for Candidates"

Other information

• Ballot Access News – News updates and analysis of ballot access issues
• ThirdPartyPolitics.us – Blog about American third party and independent politics
• National Voter Outreach – Political consulting firm that specializes in organizing petition signature drives

Footnotes

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policy Alabama •Alaska •Arizona •Arkansas •California •Colorado •Connecticut •Delaware •Florida •Georgia •Hawaii •Idaho •Illinois •Indiana •Iowa •Kansas •Kentucky •Louisiana •Maine •Maryland •Massachusetts •Michigan •Minnesota •Mississippi •Missouri •Montana •Nebraska •Nevada •New Hampshire •New Jersey •New Mexico •New York •North Carolina •North Dakota •Ohio •Oklahoma •Oregon •Pennsylvania •Rhode Island •South Carolina •South Dakota •Tennessee •Texas •Utah •Vermont •Virginia •Washington •West Virginia •Wisconsin •Wyoming Redistricting policy Alabama •Alaska •Arizona •Arkansas •California •Colorado •Connecticut •Delaware •Florida •Georgia •Hawaii •Idaho •Illinois •Indiana •Iowa •Kansas •Kentucky •Louisiana •Maine •Maryland •Massachusetts •Michigan •Minnesota •Mississippi •Missouri •Montana •Nebraska •Nevada •New Hampshire •New Jersey •New Mexico •New York •North Carolina •North Dakota •Ohio •Oklahoma •Oregon •Pennsylvania •Rhode Island •South Carolina •South Dakota •Tennessee •Texas 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•Missouri •Montana •Nebraska •Nevada •New Hampshire •New Jersey •New Mexico •New York •North Carolina •North Dakota •Ohio •Oklahoma •Oregon •Pennsylvania •Rhode Island •South Carolina •South Dakota •Tennessee •Texas •Utah •Vermont •Virginia •Washington •West Virginia •Wisconsin •Wyoming Electoral systems Single-winner system •Multi-winner system •Block voting system •Plurality voting system •Majority voting system •Top-two primary •Blanket primary •Open primary •Closed primary •Semi-closed primary •Top-four primary •Ranked-choice voting (RCV) •STAR voting •Approval voting •Fusion voting