
Jonathan Lathan volunteers to hand out out snacks and water to people waiting in line to vote early at the Douglas County Election Commission on Oct. 31.
Douglas County election officials say they do not plan to send cards this spring to all registered voters to help people request early ballots for the Omaha’s April 6 primary or May 11 general election.
After the coronavirus pandemic hit last year, the county mailed such cards twice, which contributed to increased use of early ballots. But Douglas County Election Commissioner Brian Kruse said the county doesn’t need to provide that help this year — even though the costs might be covered by federal coronavirus relief funds.
“I’m confident that voters in Omaha, they understand early voting,” he said. “They know what they have to do to request a ballot.”
Kruse says the county showed with the 2020 primary and general elections that it can run socially distanced, in-person voting that reduces the risks of coronavirus transmission to voters and poll workers.
He acknowledged that vaccinations are unlikely to control the pandemic by the time Omaha votes this spring, but he said voters who feel unsafe voting in person still have the option of voting early.
People in both major political parties are watching this decision because Mayor Jean Stothert, a Republican, is running for reelection in a city where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 24,000 voters.
Omaha Republicans tend to turn out for city elections at higher rates than Democrats, so any effort that encourages more people to vote in Omaha is likely to turn out more Democrats than might otherwise vote, political observers say.
Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb said Kruse and the Douglas County Board still have time to make a decision that expands access to voting while reducing risks to voters.
“They did it right in the last two elections,” Kleeb said. “They should do the right thing again here.”
Nebraska law says that voters who want an early ballot should request it by filling out a form that they can obtain from the Secretary of State’s Office in Lincoln or from the election office in their home county. That adds an extra step to the voting process: asking for the form, then requesting the ballot itself, and then sending in the completed ballot.
Nearly half of Douglas County voters will get to skip the first step — asking for the form — because they signed up to join a list that receives it automatically before each election. Kruse started the list in July 2018, and already 178,000 Douglas County voters had signed on. About 145,000 of them live in Omaha.
In 2020, Douglas County sent ballot request cards to every registered voter, regardless of whether they were on the list to get them every election.
Nebraska Republican Party Executive Director Ryan Hamilton said he supports a “return to normal processes for elections,” one that relies on the Legislature, not county boards or election commissioners.
“Any attempt to circumvent the legal authority to alter elections is an intolerable usurpation of power,” Hamilton said.
Douglas County Board Chairwoman Mary Ann Borgeson said the board has had no discussions yet over whether to send another round of cards, “nor have we had that request from anyone from the city.” The city pays for city elections.
Omaha City Councilman Chris Jerram, who is retiring from his post in June, said he hopes the commissioner understands the magnitude of the public health crisis with COVID-19 and will offer city voters “safe alternatives to in-person voting.”
Kruse, who was appointed to his post in 2015 by Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts, said politics played no part in his decision. He said he had pressed to send cards for the May 2020 primary because people didn’t know what they might be facing during the pandemic.
He said his office sent them again, for the November election, because health experts predicted a large spike in cases. He said he is more confident about conditions this spring and also believes more people know how to vote early.
About 88% of Douglas County voters cast ballots early in the May 2020 primary. Some 63% voted early in the 2020 presidential general election. Both elections set records.
Kruse said he expects about half of the voters in Omaha’s city elections this spring to vote early, whether they do so in person at the county election office near 120th Street and West Center Road or by mail.
Our best Omaha staff photos of January 2021

An empty seating area is seen through a window at Mr. Toad's Pub in the Old Market.

Snow blankets a neighborhood near Standing Bear Lake in Omaha on Friday, January 29, 2021.

'GBR', for 'Go Big Red', is written with footprints in the snow near Standing Bear Lake in Omaha on Friday, January 29, 2021.

Snow covers cars and Blondo Street east of Northwest Radial Highway on Tuesday, January 26, 2021. The Omaha area recorded almost 12 inches of snow the day before.

Steve Snow (yes, really) uses a tractor to clear his driveway in Bennington on Tuesday. The Omaha area recorded almost a foot of snow the day before, which lefts roads slick in many spots.

Juan Lentz walks north on 42nd Street towards Leavenworth Street during a winter storm warning on Monday, January 25, 2021. Lentz estimated he had gone about four miles on his five mile walk. He normally takes the bus, but the winter weather canceled bus service, so he had to walk home.

Juan Lentz pauses while walking north on 42nd Street towards Leavenworth Street during a winter storm warning on Monday, January 25, 2021. Lentz estimated he had gone about four miles on his five mile walk. He normally takes the bus, but the winter weather canceled bus service, so he had to walk home.

Rob Baum, 68, takes a break from shoveling the sidewalk near his home along Davenport Street in Omaha on Monday, January 25, 2021. At least a half-foot of snow is expected in the Omaha-metro on Monday.

Eliza Rijal, 10, her brother Aryan Rijal, 11, and their neighbor Jordan Rine, 7, run in the snow by their homes near 170th and Fort Streets in Omaha on Monday, January 25, 2021. Forecasters were expecting 10-12 inches of snow in the Omaha-metro area on Monday.

Two people hold hands while walking south on Madison Street toward 27th Avenue in Bellevue during a winter storm warning on Monday, January 25, 2021.

Diesel, a 3-year-old tiger born in Moscow, eats raw ground beef in his enclosure at the Simmons Safari Park in Ashland.

Billy Bluejay reacts to a call against Creighton.

Omaha's McKenna Ruch spikes the ball past the fingertips of Creighton's Jaela Zimmerman in the UNO vs. Creighton volleyball game at the Sokol Arena at Creighton University in Omaha on Friday, January 22, 2021. The Jays won the match in three sets.

Rose Pokorny and her son Ryan Pokorny look through an old plat map book at their business, RK’s Bar and Grill, in Malmo on Friday.

Sydney Sehi’s plant collection has grown to between 75 and 100 since she and husband Sam recently purchased a house in Benson. At top left, a, Monstera deliciosa albo, one of Sehi’s specialty plants. At right, visitors can brew up the perfect mix for their plant at Nodest in downtown Omaha.

Mike West looks over orders at Dirty Birds inside The Switch Beer and Food Hall in Omaha. The pickled fried chicken place is doing brisk business its first month of operation.

Players gather UNO goalie Isaiah Saville before the start of their game at Baxter Arena on Wednesday, December 09, 2021. Saville has "BLM" and a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. on his helmet.

Thomas Wilkins conducts the Omaha Symphony in a performance at the Holland Performing Arts Center in Omaha on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021.

UNO's Claire Killianm left, tries to keep South Dakota State's Regan Nesheim from passing the ball late in the game at Baxter Arena on Friday, January 15, 2021.

A Nebraska license plate is seen covered in snow during a blizzard in Omaha on Friday, January 15, 2021.

Snow falls in front of a mural near 60th Street and Ames Avenue as a blizzard whips through Omaha on Friday, January 15, 2021.

Jon Jacobs cleans the snow off of his car in downtown Omaha as residents woke up to a blizzard warning on Friday, January 15, 2021. Jacobs works downtown.

About 50 Creighton students were moved into other campus housing after a ricin scare at Davis Square apartments late Thursday.

Jody Weible, a former member of Mead’s Village Planning Board, said she has developed a persistent cough because she lives near the town’s AltEn Ethanol plant. “You can’t open your windows; you can’t hang your clothes on the line,” she said.

Creighton's Shereef Mitchell takes off on a fast break as St. John's Vince Cole, left, and Greg Williams Jr. pursue in the first half on Saturday, January 09, 2021.

Creighton's Alex O'Connell gets hit by a ball as St. John's Rasheem Dunn falls over while trying to grab the loose ball in the first half on Saturday, January 09, 2021.

Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner dunks the ball against Seton Hall's Ike Obiagu.

Seniors Aysha Ridley and Quintin Idt work during a math readiness class at Gretna High School. The class is in partnership with Metro Community College.

Deer walk through snow at Zorinsky Lake in Omaha on Thursday, January 07, 2021.

A snowball is thrown at a counterprotester driving by on K Street on the north side of the Nebraska State Capitol on Wednesday. Protesters had gathered to protest the certification of President-elect Joe Biden's victory.

Fog begins to lift as the downtown Omaha skyline starts to appear as viewed from the Lincoln Monument in Council Bluffs, Iowa on Monday, January 04, 2021.

The front room at the Hepburn home. Megan loves using color; she thinks it’s more fun for daughters Harriet and Georgie. She painted the flower picture.

The Holiday Lights Festival’s New Year’s Eve Fireworks Spectacular fireworks show filled the sky over downtown Omaha Thursday.
aaron.sanderford@owh.com, 402-444-1135, twitter.com/asanderford