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Death penalty: is the ballot language clear for voters?

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Next week Nebraskans will go to the pools and decide the future of capital punishment for the state.

For weeks KMTV has been telling you the language on the ballot might be a bit confusing.

The ballot item is Referendum 426 and the vote is retain or repeal Bill 268, or in simpler terms: should Nebraska have the death penalty?

So, voters vote retain to eliminate the death penalty, repeal to keep it.

Reporter Miranda Christian asked voters if they understood the language on the ballot.

“Retaining is to eliminate the death penalty, I feel like it is really funky wording,” said one UNO student.

“It is kind of tricky, retain you think let’s keep it, well no we are repealing the death sentence,” said Errol Hald.

Out of the 12 people she spoke with, eight of them voted retain, three voted repeal, and one undecided. Fortunately everyone said they were able to read the ballot and make an informed decision. 

“I think it is pretty straight forward; you definitely should at least read it and make sure you know where you stand on it,” said one voter.