Nebraska: Without a single candidate to back, Americans Elect calls it quits in Nebraska | Omaha World-Herald

A little-known political party is being officially dissolved in Nebraska after failing to field even one candidate for public office. The Americans Elect Party, an effort launched to nominate presidential and vice presidential candidates in 2012 via an online convention, has informed the Nebraska secretary of state of its intention to dissolve. The party had about 275 members in Nebraska and was able, in 2012, to gather more than 9,000 signatures to qualify as an official party in the state. “Pick a President, Not a Party” was its slogan. But Americans Elect was unable to field a presidential slate through what it called “the first nonpartisan, national online presidential primary.” It also didn’t field any candidates for state offices in Nebraska.

Nebraska: Lawmakers begin debate on early voting measure | Journal Star

Nebraska lawmakers began debate Wednesday on a bill to reduce the number of days for in-person early voting in order to prevent situations like the one in which a blind Lincoln woman couldn’t cast an early ballot because the machine to help disabled voters was not ready. Late last year, a hearing officer, Lincoln attorney Robert Kinsey Jr., suggested reducing the period for in-person, early voting from 35 days to 25 days. Kinsey was appointed to oversee the case, which stemmed from a complaint filed by Nebraskans for Civic Reform on behalf of Fatos Floyd of Lincoln. Floyd, who is blind, called the Lincoln Election Commissioner’s Office on Oct. 3 — two days after in-person early voting began — to say she was bringing in a friend with visual impairment to vote on the county’s Automark terminal but was told the machine’s software wasn’t yet available. Neal Erickson, deputy secretary of state for elections, said earlier the main problem is that Nebraska law says ballots for early voting must be ready 35 days before the election. The law also says the ballots must be certified by the secretary of state 50 days before the election. In the 15 days between the two deadlines, election officials must finalize the ballot layouts, print the ballots and program Automark terminals.