Nebraska State Senator Bill Avery has introduced LB 757, to change the definition of “political party”. Current law says it is a group that polled 5% for any statewide office at the last election. The bill would change this so that it is a group that had polled 5% for a statewide race at either of the last two elections.

The bill also clarifies that if a party runs candidates for U.S. House in all three districts, and they each get at least 5%, that also counts toward meeting the vote test. That had already been policy, but the bill makes it more explicit.

Senator Avery also introduced HB 759, which repeals the requirement that circulators be Nebraska residents. The bill provides that only persons age 18 and above may circulate petitions, and provides that any paid circulator must display an identification number while he or she is petitioning. The person who hires the paid circulator will assign unique identifying numbers for each circulator.