Early mail-in voting (formerly known as absentee voting) is available, and no excuse is required. The last day to request an absentee ballot is the second Friday before the election (unless that date is a state holiday, in which case the deadline is the following Monday). You can return your absentee ballot request form through the mail or in person. Voted ballots must be received by Election Day in order to be counted. You can sign up to track your absentee ballot on your Secretary of State website. Absentee ballots begin being counted on Election Day. Contact your local elections office for more information.

Requesting and Returning an Early-Vote (absentee) Ballot

You can apply for an early voting (formerly known as absentee) ballot by contacting your county clerk in person, by personal agent, by mail or by fax. You can print the early voting application request form from your state's website. To apply for early voting, you should complete the form and then mail or fax it to your county clerk.

You may also send in a hand-written request. You can obtain an early voting ballot by writing to your county clerk or election commissioner with the following information:

• Your name and residence address
• Your political party affiliation
• Your voting precinct (if known)
• Your phone number
• The mailing address you want the ballots sent to
• Your signature

NOTE: Beginning April 2024, voters will be required to provide their Nebraska drivers’ license or state ID number when requesting and returning a ballot by mail. Alternatively, voters could include a photocopy of their qualifying ID.

All county election offices will accept early voting applications up to 120 days prior to a statewide election. However, regular early voting ballots are not sent out or voted until 35 days before the election. The last day to request an early voting ballot to be mailed is the second Friday before the election. All early voting ballots whether personally delivered, delivered by agent or delivered by mail or other carriers must arrive by the closing of the polls on Election Day: 8:00 pm central time and 7:00 pm mountain time.

Those who requested an absentee ballot but end up voting in person:

You may only do so by a provisional ballot. Do not mail a ballot and vote in person. For specifics, you can find your local county clerk contact info here.

Overseas citizens and U.S. military personnel can find information on how to register to vote and request an absentee ballot at the Overseas Vote Foundation.