On Oct. 16, the Nebraska Supreme Court upheld felon voting rights after sentence served. The court wrote, “For reasons we have stated, we issue the peremptory writ directing the respondents to immediately comply with L.B. 20 as described in this opinion.”

Are you a Nebraskan who has completed your felony sentence? In that case, you can now register to vote immediately if you are off paper—meaning you have completed your term of incarceration, probation, supervised release or parole; satisfied any other requirements from the court; and remained conviction-free.

Go to GETMYVOTEBACK.ORG for details. Time is short – the deadline to register to vote online is Friday, Oct. 18; the deadline to register in person at county election offices is Friday, Oct. 25. Act now!

The League of Women Voters of Nebraska supported LB20 — the bill that restored voting rights to system-impacted Nebraskans with bipartisan support in the 2024 legislative session. The legislation was to take effect on July 19.

On July 17, Attorney General Mike Hilgers offered an opinion that only the Parole Board can restore voting rights, repudiating the  Legislature’s bill. Based on that opinion, Secretary of State Bob Evnen halted voter registration of former felons unless pardoned.

On July 29, the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska and national law firm Faegre Drinker filed a petition challenging the directive on behalf of three individual plaintiffs and Civic Nebraska, a nonpartisan, nonprofit group. Oral arguments before the Nebraska Supreme Court were Aug. 28.

For more information, read this story in the Nebraska Examiner, this story on the 1011Now news site and this story in the New York Times.