OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Voter ID takes many forms across the country with every state crafting its own unique legislation to implement the requirements.
It is a complicated process and one that will be left up to our state lawmakers.
“What the constitutional amendment calls for is for the legislature to enact legislation to enact laws to establish Voter ID,” said Secretary of State Bob Evnen.
Voter ID laws can be strict, requiring the ID before a ballot is cast, or non-strict where a ballot can later be certified after an ID is presented or a voter is vouched for.
In some states, any form of government-issued ID can be used, in others that ID must include a photo.
Nebraska will fall into the strict photo ID category, meaning you will have to provide a photo ID before your ballot can be cast.
But that still leaves questions like when an ID is presented for mail in-ballots, and what IDs will qualify that will need to be worked out in the Unicameral.
“Our best guess on what that might look like is to use guidance from other states to see what has worked and shape something similar to that for Nebraska but until we have a chance to all come together, it's hard to say exactly what it will look like,” said Senator Tom Brewer of District 43.
Senator Brewer chairs the government, military and veterans affairs committee in the unicameral and any Voter ID laws will likely have to pass through his committee first before it makes it to the floor for a debate.
Those debates, which have come up a number of times in recent years, were best described as contentious.
But those debates focused on whether we should implement an ID requirement and with that question answered, Senator Brewer is hopeful the conversation will be more cooperative than contentious.
“We have to sort it out. I am hopeful with some new faces and some time for old wounds to heal that we will be able to come up with what right looks like and work it through the system,” said Senator Brewer.
The debate on how to implement voter ID will take place when the legislature reconvenes on January 4th, 2023.
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