BROKEN BOW, Neb.— Nearly 1,400 test ballots ran through the Custer County ballot machine on Wednesday morning as a part of a mock election ahead of next week’s Gubernatorial Primary Election. Each county election office in Nebraska is completing similar mock elections as required by law before each statewide election.
After running a ‘0 report’ to reset the machine, Deputy Clerk Nissa Shelby loaded the first of several stacks of ballots into the machine to be counted. The machine, which isn’t even a decade old, is serviced before each primary election and sorts ballots into three categories: those with no errors that are good to go, those that have a write-in somewhere on them, and errors (which can be because of errant marks, incomplete bubbles, etc.).
From there, results are loaded into a computer that is not connected to the internet. It’s there where images of the write-ins on ballots are put before a human who determines who the vote is for, adding those numbers to the results. All results are then compiled onto a new, never used drive to place into a computer and send to the state through code that is determined on the other end.
Custer County Clerk Kelly Jacobsen, who is working her first election in the position, said the results of the mock election came out in line with the expected goal.
Jacobsen, alongside Shelby (working her 7th election), and Dawn Raber-Goodwin (1st election) will collaborate with poll workers to receive and run the entirety of the county’s ballots through the machine on the evening of May 12 after polls close at 8 PM. From there, unofficial results are given. They are not made official until those who didn’t bring Voter ID to the polls return to the clerks office after the election to confirm they have it in addition to the results being certified through canvassing.
The three officials at Custer County’s mock election stated that poll workers have been instructed to consistently ask for Voter ID from all voters, with no exceptions, as a result of LB514, signed by the Governor in 2023.
Acceptable forms of photo ID for voting include a Nebraska driver’s license, Nebraska state ID, Nebraska college ID, Military ID, Tribal ID, U.S. Passport, Nebraska political subdivision ID, and hospital, hospice, home, and community-based developmental disabilities services agency, intermediate care facility, assisted-living facility, or nursing home records.
Those unsure of where their polling place location is can utilize VoterCheck, which can also be utilized to confirm your address, party association, and absentee/provisional ballot status.
