LINCOLN, Neb. (KMTV) — Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen, an outspoken supporter of bringing voter ID to Nebraska elections, announced his re-election bid Monday.
Evnen, a Republican, will run for a second term after winning election over Democrat Spencer Danner in 2018. He took over for longtime Secretary of State John Gale.
In 2018, Evnen made requiring an ID to vote in elections a tenet of his campaign. Numerous efforts have been made by the legislature over the last few years to bring voter ID to Nebraska, but they have stalled.
This summer, a petition drive was launched to get voter ID on the 2022 ballot, an effort Evnen backs.
“We have to make sure it’s easy to vote and hard to cheat,” said Evnen.
Evnen, whose role includes Chief Elections Officer, made it clear last year that Nebraska had a free and fair election.
However, in a news conference the day after the election, he questioned why roughly 25,000 ballots were not returned.
“Did they receive them, if they received them, what happened to them? Did they just decide not to cast them? Did they put them in a pile of mail and did it become too late or did something else happen,” said Evnen.
In that press conference, Evnen floated changing the way the state does vote-by-mail to ensure ballots are returned. So far, he has not backed any such measure, which would also need legislative approval.
The job of Secretary of State also includes being a member of the Board of Pardons, as well as the role of Chief Protocol Officer for international relations, a job that has brought Evnen overseas.
So far, no Democrats have announced plans to run for Secretary of State.
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