NEBRASKA

Open Primares Research:

New York, NY- September 30, 2015 – Open Primaries released a new report examining the results of Nebraska’s adoption of a single, nonpartisan primary election system. 

The Myth of the Red State: Policy Over Party in the Nebraska State Capitol demonstrates that while Congress and many state legislatures have fallen prey to partisanship and dysfunction, the Nebraska political system is working.  

READ THE FULL REPORT

Primaries:

• State legislature primaries: nonpartisan, Top Two

• Democratic state and local primaries: closed

• Republican state and local primaries: closed

• Democratic congressional primaries: open

• Republican congressional primaries: open

• Democratic Presidential primary: mixed
  

• Republican Presidential primary: mixed
  

Primary Type Definitions

Registration:

• Voters may or may not choose to affiliate with a political party, however, affiliation with a party is required to vote in certain primary elections.

• 20% of voters in Nebraska are registered as nonpartisan.

Details of voting in congressional and state primary elections:

• Nebraska has a nonpartisan, unicameral state legislature, so elections for state legislator use a nonpartisan, Top Two system.

• Voters must register with a party to participate in partisan state and local races (eg, Governor, City Council, etc.)

• Voters do not need to be registered with a party to vote in congressional party primaries.