The election process in Nebraska could change. A legislative committee heard testimony on two bills that would change how and where people vote yesterday. Siouxland Public Media’s Mary Hartnett has this report.
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LB619 would allow all counties in the state to hold elections by mail-in ballots. Currently, a county must have fewer than 10,000 residents to apply for mail-in ballots. The Douglas County Election Commissioner spoke out for the bill saying it would increase voter turnout. LB277 would change the maximum number of people per precinct from 1,750 to 1,000. This became an issue in recent elections when precincts and polling locations began to close. In North Omaha some people could no longer walk to their polling location. Everyone who opposed the bill said the cost of running a polling place is about the same regardless of the number of voters, so the bill would cost too much for the state and counties. For Siouxland Public Media, I’m Mary Hartnett.