Scott Petersen Plans to Shorten Nebraska Mail-In Voting Period

Nebraska Secretary of State-elect Scott Petersen announced plans to modify the state's mail-in voting process to restore public confidence in elections. Petersen, a Republican who will be sworn in on January 7, argues that the current 35-day mail-in period is too long and "corrupts our elections" by incentivizing outside money to harvest ballots.

While Petersen does not intend to eliminate mail-in voting entirely, he expressed a preference for returning to a one-day election system with true absentee voting. He noted that he cannot prove there are current problems with Nebraska systems but believes the extended window creates vulnerabilities.

Jan McKenzie, president of the League of Women Voters of Greater Omaha, stated that any such changes must be approved by the Nebraska Unicameral. McKenzie noted that because of the legislative process and necessary checks and balances, the earliest any changes would be considered is for the 2028 election cycle.