LINCOLN, NE. — Nebraska state officials and election officials are calling for new technology and legislation to prevent fraudulent signatures on ballot initiatives after suspected fake signatures were discovered on multiple petitions.
Election commissioners from Lancaster and Hall counties joined Gov. Jim Pillen and Secretary of State Bob Evnen to discuss what changes are needed to prevent fraudulent signatures in Nebraska's petition process.
A state investigation is underway after county officials alerted Evnen's office that they discovered suspected fake signatures on the Fairness for Girls petition and the Respect Nebraska Voters petition.
"We have already started discussions on how to make improvements to the Nebraska petition process," Hall County Election Commissioner Tracy Overstreet said.
Among the proposed solutions is purchasing technology software that could help track changes in a voter's signature over time.
Lancaster County Election Commissioner Todd Wiltgen noted that current technology and human tools have limitations.
"The technologies we use are more or less the 'human factor,'" Wiltgen said. "More staff and more training to conduct the process — to review petitions."
Evnen raised concerns about the feasibility of new technology.
"The problem with the technology is (that) it isn't sufficiently accurate, and it is very expensive," Evnen said.
Officials also discussed legislation that would make it illegal to pay circulators by the signature, require training on Nebraska laws, preclude felons from gathering signatures, and require paid circulators to be U.S. citizens.
"If you are going to come in and do these things, you are going to have to come back and answer for it," Evnen said.
