On the issues

Petersen said he’s running so Nebraskans can trust that the secretary of state supports businesses and administers elections with integrity and transparency. He said he wants to modernize business services, improve efficiency and strengthen elections. Slattery said she is running to give Nebraskans an impartial, unbiased and strictly nonpartisan secretary of state. She said she would work to ensure everyone has the information and opportunity to vote. Rumbaugh said the secretary of state must safeguard voters’ private information and political associations from outside interference rather than serve partisan interests. Krist said the job of the secretary of state is to fairly administer elections, consistently enforce the law, protect the ballot and make it easy to vote legally and difficult to cheat.

Krist said he would demand transparency and accountability at every level of election administration so Nebraskans can see for themselves that the system works. Rumbaugh said his role in overseeing statewide elections will include facilitating proper communication with county election offices, staff and poll volunteers. The most effective way to ensure safe and secure elections, Rumbaugh said, is to make sure everybody is on the same page and that they understand their roles to minimize surprises and mistakes. Slattery said she has full confidence in Nebraska’s elections. If elected, she said she would clarify mail-in voting procedures, incorporate voter registration education into high school civics classes and boost outreach to communities with low turnout. Confidence in elections must be earned, Petersen said. If elected, he said, he would strengthen election security, protect election infrastructure, maintain accurate voter records and support measures to verify voter eligibility.

Slattery said Nebraska’s elections are the gold standard for security and fairness. If elected, she said she would combat misinformation and out-of-state narratives by providing facts about how Nebraska’s voting systems work. Krist said he would stand behind county election officials who run the elections and provide them with the resources and backing they need to do the job right. Election security measures should adapt to evolving threats, Petersen said. If elected, he said, he would support voter registration lists, voter identification, chain of custody procedures and post-election audits. Rumbaugh said the current operations are possibly a little out of date but in good shape, with a strong framework. 

Rumbaugh said voters’ names, addresses, political affiliations and personal information matched to personal identifying numbers need to be protected by the state. Turning control of that information over to unknown political operatives outside Nebraska, he said, doesn’t make the state’s elections more transparent or safe – it makes accountability harder. Petersen said he agreed with Secretary of State Bob Evnen’s decision earlier this year to hand over voter data to the federal government. If elected, he said he would carefully evaluate every request for voter data and communicate with Nebraskans about what is requested, why it’s being shared and how it’s being protected. Slattery said she does not agree with Evnen’s decision, as federal judges have dismissed similar information requests over legal overreach. She said centralizing state files opens doors to voter roll purges that risk stripping eligible people of the ability to vote. Krist said elections depend on Nebraskans trusting the system that counts their votes and said he will make sure the chief election officer serves voters and not a political party. 

Slattery said the 11 Nebraska counties that vote entirely by mail are successful and have consistently high turnout rates. She said this success makes the case for supporting mail-in voting, which she said is safe and secure. Absentee voting should remain available in Nebraska, Petersen said. He said he supports regularly reviewing absentee voting procedures and all-mail elections in rural counties. Krist said he would bring the office up to date, improving service to voters and businesses without compromising security. Rumbaugh says his administration will fight to keep authority over Nebraska elections within Nebraska and protect the state’s ability to determine how its elections are administered. 

Petersen said he would continue modernizing online services, reduce unnecessary bureaucracy, simplify records filings and make it easier for businesses to interact with the state. Rumbaugh said he has faith in the office’s Elections Division and the staff and volunteers in county election offices. He said he supports continuing to build on current measures such as tabulator testing, mock elections and post-election audits. Krist said the office should maintain strong, verifiable safeguards against fraud and abuse. Slattery said there is a lot of potential to improve efficiency and reduce redundancies across non-election divisions overseen by the secretary of state. She said she would upgrade the online public portal and build strong international trade relationships for Nebraska agriculture.