Nebraska Secretary of State
| Nebraska Secretary of State | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $85,000 |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $13,743,955 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Nebraska Constitution, Article IV, Section I |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
Nebraska Secretary of State
Bob Evnen | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | 2026 |
| Last election: | 2022 |
| Other Nebraska Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Commissioner of Education • Agriculture Director • Insurance Director • Natural Resources Director • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission • Board of Regents | |
The Secretary of State for Nebraska has responsibilities over the following areas: elections, business services, occupational licensing, state rules and regulations, records management, international relations and youth civics programs. The secretary of state is the keeper of the Great Seal of the State of Nebraska, and the office is the repository for official state documents.[1]
Nebraska has a Republican triplex. The Republican Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.
Current officeholder
The current officeholder is Republican Bob Evnen. He was elected in 2018 and assumed office on January 10, 2019.[2]
Authority
The state Constitution addresses the office of secretary of state in Article IV, the Executive Department.[3]
Under Article IV, Section I:
|
The executive officers of the state shall be the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor of Public Accounts, State Treasurer, Attorney General, and the heads of such other executive departments as set forth herein or as may be established by law. |
Qualifications
There are no specific qualifications for this office.
Elections
In accordance with Article IV of the Nebraska Constitution, the Office of Secretary of State is a publicly elected position with elections held every four years. Elections are held in November and officers assume their duties the following January. There are no term limits.
2022
General election
General election for Nebraska Secretary of State
Incumbent Bob Evnen won election in the general election for Nebraska Secretary of State on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Bob Evnen (R)  | 100.0 | 500,342 |
| Total votes: 500,342 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Nebraska Secretary of State
Incumbent Bob Evnen defeated Robert Borer and Rex Schroder in the Republican primary for Nebraska Secretary of State on May 10, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bob Evnen | 43.9 | 98,263 |
 | Robert Borer | 32.2 | 72,150 | |
 | Rex Schroder | 23.9 | 53,628 | |
| Total votes: 224,041 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
General election
General election for Nebraska Secretary of State
Bob Evnen defeated Spencer Danner in the general election for Nebraska Secretary of State on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bob Evnen (R) | 60.6 | 406,632 |
| Spencer Danner (D) | 39.4 | 263,982 | |
| Total votes: 670,614 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Nebraska Secretary of State
Spencer Danner advanced from the Democratic primary for Nebraska Secretary of State on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Spencer Danner | 100.0 | 76,769 |
| Total votes: 76,769 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Nebraska Secretary of State
Bob Evnen defeated Debra Perrell in the Republican primary for Nebraska Secretary of State on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bob Evnen | 58.5 | 81,371 |
| Debra Perrell | 41.5 | 57,816 | |
| Total votes: 139,187 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2014
| Secretary of State of Nebraska, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  John Gale Incumbent |
75.2% | 368,135 | |
| Libertarian | Ben Backus | 24.8% | 121,470 | |
| Total Votes | 489,605 | |||
| Election results via Nebraska Secretary of State | ||||
2010
On November 2, 2010, John A. Gale won re-election to the office of Nebraska Secretary of State. He defeated Janet Stewart in the general election.
| Nebraska Secretary of State, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | John A. Gale Incumbent |
69.8% | 326,661 | |
| Democratic | Janet Stewart | 30.2% | 141,334 | |
| Total Votes | 467,995 | |||
| Election results via Nebraska Secretary of State. | ||||
2006
On November 7, 2006, John A. Gale won re-election to the office of Nebraska Secretary of State. He defeated Jay C. Stoddard and Doug Paterson in the general election.
| Nebraska Secretary of State, 2006 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | John A. Gale Incumbent |
63.4% | 337,064 | |
| Democratic | Jay C. Stoddard | 34.7% | 184,753 | |
| Green Party | Doug Paterson | 1.9% | 9,897 | |
| Total Votes | 531,714 | |||
| Election results via Secretary of State - Official Results 2006 General Election. | ||||
2002
On November 5, 2002, John A. Gale won re-election to the office of Nebraska Secretary of State. He defeated Jay C. Stoddard, Joseph A. Rosber, and Tudor Lewis in the general election.
| Nebraska Secretary of State, 2002 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | John A. Gale Incumbent |
62.1% | 274,441 | |
| Democratic | Jay C. Stoddard | 29.7% | 131,254 | |
| Independent | Joseph A. Rosber | 6.2% | 27,400 | |
| Libertarian | Tudor Lewis | 2% | 8,839 | |
| Total Votes | 441,934 | |||
| Election results via Secretary of State - Official Results 2002 General Election. | ||||
Vacancies
As established by Article IV, Section 11 of the Nebraska Constitution, in the event of a vacancy in the office of secretary of state, the governor fills the office by appointment. The appointee serves until a successor is elected and qualified.[4]
Duties
The secretary of state serves as the chief election officer of the state. The Elections Division is responsible for the election process in Nebraska. Duties include accepting filings and tabulating results for statewide, legislative, judicial retention and certain district elections; accepting filings for statewide initiative and referendum petitions; administering election law; and supervising the conduct of elections. The division is responsible for implementing reforms under the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA).[5]
Voter Information
The secretary of state is also charged with the duty to educate the voters in Nebraska. This is does though the Voter Information Pamphlet, Public Hearings and publication of the ballot.
Role in the initiative process
The first step in filing an initiative in Nebraska is to submit a copy of the text and the object clause for the petition to the secretary of state's office. The sponsor also needs to supply a sworn list of sponsors when submitting the initiative.
The secretary of state then sends the language to the Revisor of Statutes who reviews the language to see if it fits into the constitution or statutes clearly and uniformly. This process must be completed within 10 days before it must be returned to the Secretary of State. Sponsors are informed of the recommended changes by the secretary of state but may choose to accept or reject the office's suggestions. These changes remain confidential for the duration of the 5 day review but are released as public record after the language is settled.
Once the final form is given to the sponsor the language of the measure may not be changed or it becomes necessary the entire process must start again.
Signature Verification
When sponsors submit the petitions to the secretary of state, they must submit it no less than four months prior to the general election with all the signatures separated by county. The secretary of state will then check that there are at least the minimum required amount of signatures before beginning the verification process.
If there are enough signatures the petitions are sent to the local election officials to be compared with he voter registration records. This process must be completed in 40 days after receiving the signatures, though in some circumstances an additional 10 days is allowed.
When the signatures are verified, the measure is placed on the general election ballot.
Divisions
As of January 27, 2021, there are seven main divisions within the office of the Secretary of State:[6]
- Elections
- Business Services
- Licensing
- Rules and Regulations
- Records Management
- International Relations
- Youth Services
State budget
- See also: Nebraska state budget and finances
The budget for the Secretary of State's office in Fiscal Year 2024-2025 was $13,743,955.[7]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
The salaries of elected executive officials are set by the Nebraska State Legislature as mandated by the state constitution. Article IV, Section 25 states the following:
|
The officers provided for in this article shall receive such salaries as may be provided by law. Such officers, or such other officers as may be provided for by law, shall not receive for their own use any fees, costs, or interest upon public money in their hands. |
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $85,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
2021
In 2021, the secretary of state received a salary of $85,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2020
In 2020, the secretary of state received a salary of $85,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2019
In 2019, the secretary of state received a salary of $85,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2018
In 2018, the secretary of state received a salary of $85,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2017
In 2017, the secretary of state received a salary of $85,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2016
In 2016, the secretary of state received a salary of $85,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2015
In 2015, the secretary of state received a salary of $85,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2014
In 2014, the secretary was paid an estimated $85,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2013
In 2013, the secretary was paid an estimated $85,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[17]
Historical officeholders
There were four Secretaries of Nebraska Territory from 1854-1867.[18]
| List of Former Officeholders from 1854-1867 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | |||
| 1 | Thomas B. Cuming | 1854-1858 | |||
| 2 | John B. Motley | 1858 | |||
| 3 | J. Sterling Morton | 1858-1861 | |||
| 4 | Algernon S. Paddock | 1861-1867 | |||
There have been 27 Nebraska Secretaries of State since 1867. Of the 27 officeholders, 22 were Republican, four were Democratic, and one was Democratic/Populist.
| List of Former Officeholders from 1867-Present | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | Party | ||
| 1 | Thomas P. Kennard | 1867-1871 |  Republican
| ||
| 2 | William H. James | 1871-1873 | Republican
| ||
| 3 | John J. Gosper | 1873-1875 | Republican
| ||
| 4 | Bruno Tzschuck | 1875-1879 | Republican
| ||
| 5 | S. J. Alexander | 1879-1883 | Republican
| ||
| 6 | Edward P. Roggen | 1883-1887 | Republican
| ||
| 7 | Gilbert L. Laws | 1887-1895 | Republican
| ||
| 8 | Benjamin R. Cowdery | 1889-1891 | Republican
| ||
| 9 | John C. Allen | 1891-1895 | Republican
| ||
| 10 | Joel A. Piper | 1895-1897 | Republican
| ||
| 11 | William F. Porter | 1897-1901 |  Democratic/Populist
| ||
| 12 | George W. Marsh | 1901-1905 | Republican
| ||
| 13 | Galusha | 1905-1907 | Republican
| ||
| 14 | George C. Junkin | 1907-1911 | Republican
| ||
| 15 | Addison Wait | 1911-1915 | Republican
| ||
| 16 | Charles W. Pool | 1915-1919 | Democratic
| ||
| 17 | Darius M. Amsberry | 1919-1923 | Republican
| ||
| 18 | Charles W. Pool | 1923-1927 | Democratic
| ||
| 19 | Frank Marsh | 1927-1933 | Republican
| ||
| 20 | Harry R. Swanson | 1933-1941 | Democratic
| ||
| 21 | Frank Marsh | 1941-1951 | Republican
| ||
| 22 | James S. Pittenger | 1951-1953 | Democratic
| ||
| 23 | Frank Marsh | 1953-1971 | Republican
| ||
| 24 | Allen J. Beermann | 1971-1995 | Republican
| ||
| 25 | Scott Moore | 1995-2000 | Republican
| ||
| 26 | John Gale | 2000-2019 | Republican
| ||
| 27 | Bob Evnen | 2019-present | Republican
| ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Nebraska Secretary of State. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact information
Capitol Address:
Nebraska Secretary of State
Post Office Box 94608
Lincoln, NE 68509-4608
Phone: (402) 471-2554
Fax: (402) 471-3237
E-mail: [email protected]
See also
| Nebraska | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
External links
- Office of the Nebraska Secretary of State
- Election administration website of the Nebraska Secretary of State
- Initiative and Referendum Process
Footnotes
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "About the Office," accessed January. 27, 2021
- ↑ [secretary-state-robert-evnen Nebraska Secretary of State, "Secretary of State Robert Evnen," accessed January 27, 2021]
- ↑ Nebraska State Legislature, "Nebraska State Constitution," accessed January. 27, 2021
- ↑ Nebraska State Legislature, "Nebraska State Constitution," accessed January. 27, 2021
- ↑ [secretary-state-robert-evnen Nebraska Secretary of State, "Secretary of State Robert Evnen," accessed January 27, 2021]
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "Secretary of State Divisions & Programs" accessed August 4, 2012
- ↑ Nebraska.gov, "Agency Operations / State Aid / Construction Summary by Fund Type," accessed December 6, 2023
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed January 26, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 26, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 26, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 26, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed December 3, 2014
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 30, 2014
- ↑ 2018-2019 Nebraska Bluebook, "State Executive Branch," accessed January 28, 2021
| |||||||||||||||||||
