This content is unavailable. Please contact customer service for more information.
Already a subscriber? Login or Activate your account.
You've reached the end of the standard E-Edition.
This content is unavailable. Please contact customer service for more information.
Elections
Top StorySpotlight
Nebraska high court upholds law allowing some nonresidents to vote in state elections
CHRIS DUNKER
Lincoln Journal Star
Nebraska's highest court on Friday upheld a state law allowing certain voters born to residents of the Cornhusker State but who have never lived here to cast a ballot in state elections.
The Nebraska Supreme Court said the Republican National Committee and two Lancaster County voters who challenged the law "failed to prove the statute is unconstitutional on its face."
The RNC, along with Lancaster County Engineer Pam Dingman and Jack Riggins, the chair of the Lancaster County Republican Party, said the law diluted the voice of lawful voters and asked that it be overturned.
In a 6-1 decision, justices said while the Nebraska State Constitution has required voters to reside in the state, county and precinct where they cast a ballot since 1875, there are exceptions.
A Supreme Court decision in 1895 made the terms "residence" synonymous with "domicile" when it came to describing voters' qualifications. Subsequent statutes and court decisions have operated within that framework, the court said.
"This and other courts have previously recognized that children acquire their parents' domicile at birth and that such domicile 'continues until a new one, a "domicile of choice," is acquired,'" the majority said.
A domicile of choice is acquired by both "residence through bodily presence in the new locality" as well as an intention to stay there, the court said.
Under those precedents, the court said a person who "acquired domicile" in Nebraska at birth, despite never having lived there, would be a Nebraska resident eligible to vote in the state's elections.
Justice William Cassel, in a dissent, wrote the total number of voters who cast ballots in the previous three election cycles without having never lived in Nebraska was miniscule.
In the 2024 general election, for example, there were 72 voters who have never lived in Nebraska that cast ballots, or roughly 0.007% of the total 965,236 ballots cast.
"These numbers establish that the claimed harm is neither actual, imminent, nor palpable," Cassel wrote. "The purported harm resembles a droplet in a deluge."
Cassel said he would have dismissed the appeal outright.
Rain or shine, the music plays on. Mitchell's marching band is preparing for Old West Weekend, where community connections matter as much as c…
News
Top StorySpotlight
Elm Creek residents invited to help shape local housing study
Jessica Kennedy
ELM CREEK — What brought you to Elm Creek, and what makes you stay? Does your current home meet your needs? If more housing options were available, would you move, purchase your first home, or make a change?
Elm Creek area residents and housing stakeholders are invited to explore these questions during one of two focused conversations about the community’s current and future housing needs.
Conversations will take place Oct. 27 at 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at Elm Creek Village Hall (535 West Boyd Avenue).
Both sessions will cover the same topics, allowing participants to choose the time that works best for them. To help plan for refreshments and meeting supplies, anyone interested in attending are welcomed and encouraged to RSVP at HousingElmCreek.com.
The conversations are part of an Elm Creek housing study. Analysis of census and economic data has provided a picture of the local housing market.
The next step is to hear the experiences behind those numbers: why people choose Elm Creek, how housing costs and availability influence that choice, and what options residents need as their lives change.
Participants will discuss renting and homeownership, affordability, housing conditions, and opportunities for different types of homes. Input is welcome from people satisfied with their current housing as well as those looking for something different or struggling to find or afford a suitable home.
Renters, homeowners, prospective residents, employers, landlords, builders, real estate professionals, lenders, and organizations serving area households are encouraged to attend. No housing expertise is necessary — everyday experiences are an important part of the study.
Bobbi Pettit of FIVE RULE Rural Planning, based in Kearney, will facilitate both conversations. Community input will directly shape a community-wide survey scheduled for release in early November, providing another opportunity for people to participate, including those unable to attend a conversation.
Area residents and housing stakeholders who have questions about these planned conversations or the overall housing study may reach out to Jordan Duffin Wong at 308.455.3528 or jordan@fiveruleplanning.com.
Click and hold your mouse button on the page to select the area you wish to save or print.
You can click and drag the clipping box to move it or click and drag in the bottom right corner to resize it.
When you're happy with your selection, click the checkmark icon next to the clipping area to continue.
Mitchell High School band prepares for Old West Weekend
