Primary election information for Douglas & Sarpy Counties

OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The 2022 Nebraska Primary Election is just over a month away. If you are voting on election day, be prepared for some changes.

Because of redistricting, the Douglas County Election Commission says about 40 percent of the county’s registered voters will have a new polling location. That info was on a postcard that was mailed out to registered voters on March 21.

If you never received that post card you can find your polling place in Douglas County by clicking here.

Similarly, you can find your polling place in Sarpy County by clicking here.

However, the newest trend seems to be casting an early voting ballot. Both the Douglas and Sarpy County Election Commissions began mailing out the early voting ballots April 4 to those who submitted an early voting request.

In the last gubernatorial primary in 2018, Douglas County sent out around 15,000 early voting ballots.

This year they have shattered that number.

“We sent 65,000 out Monday. It will probably be somewhere in the neighborhood of 80,000 – 85,000,” Douglas County Election Commissioner Brian Kruse said. “It’s definitely a record for us in a gubernatorial primary, no question about that.”

Kruse says the pandemic played a role in this new trend, but it also gives residents the chance to take some time before making a decision.

“The number one reason we hear why folks really like the early voting ballots is not because they’re going to be out of town, or they have any appointments,” Kruse said. “It really is because folks enjoy sitting at their kitchen table, they can take all the time they want to research offices or bond issues they don’t know about, and then vote the way they want – informed.”

When you receive the ballot, it will be in a manila envelope and will come with another for you to seal and return with your votes.

Be sure to sign the back of that envelope, otherwise your vote will not count. You can then either mail them back at least a week before election day or take it to one of the county’s drop boxes.

Here are some of the important dates for both Douglas and Sarpy Counties.

Primary Election Important Dates

Monday, April 4 

• First Day Early Voting Ballots Were Mailed Out  

Monday, April 11  

• First day Voters Can Vote Early In-person at County's Election Commission Office 

Monday, May 2                        

• Deadline for the Election Commission to Receive Written Requests for Early Voting Ballots (6 p.m.)  
• Deadline for Voter Registration (6 p.m.)  

Tuesday, May 10   

• Nebraska Primary Election (8 a.m. - 8 p.m.) 

For a list of the Douglas County dropbox locations, to request an early ballot, to register to vote, or if you have any questions for the county’s election commission office, click here.

For a list of the Sarpy County dropbox locations, to request an early ballot, to register to vote, or if you have any questions for the county’s election commission office, click here.