The Douglas County Election Commission assists voters interested in running for office by helping them fill out the proper filing documents; however, the filing is not official until the paperwork reaches the proper filing office. For county and local offices, the Election Commission is the official filing location; however, for State and Federal offices, the Secretary of State's office is the official filing location.
The Election Commission will assist candidates in filling out the paperwork for those offices that file with the Secretary of State's office, but it is the candidate's responsibility to ensure the filing reaches the Secretary of State before the filing deadlines have passed.
Candidate filings may begin being submitted to the Filing Officer (Election Commissioner or Secretary of State) on January 5th of the election year. The deadline to file for an office up for election can vary depending on the office. To view filing requirements for a specific office, visit the Offices Up for Election page.
Incumbent
An incumbent is a person who currently holds any elective office, whether by appointment or election. A candidate is considered an incumbent even if they are filing for a different elective office than the one they currently hold.
Non-Incumbent
A non-incumbent is a person who currently holds no elective office.
Partisan
A partisan candidate is a candidate running for a partisan office. A partisan office is a political office where candidates are listed by party affiliation, and voters may only vote for candidates of their same political party during a partisan primary.
Nonpartisan
A nonpartisan candidate is a candidate running for a nonpartisan office. A nonpartisan office is a political office where candidates are not listed by party affiliation, and all voters, regardless of political affiliation, may vote for any candidate for that office.
Write-In
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A write-in candidate must file a notarized affidavit and pay a filing fee (if required) with the Election Commissioner or Secretary of State no later than 10 days prior to the election.
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A candidate who was defeated in the primary election as a regular candidate or as a write-in candidate may not file as a write-in candidate for the general election for that same office unless a vacancy exists.
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A write-in candidate's name is not printed on the ballot. Voters may vote for an official write-in candidate by writing the candidate's name on a write-in line and filling in the oval that corresponds with the political office that the candidate is seeking.
By Petition
A candidate may petition onto the ballot under certain circumstances. For more information on nomination by petition, please visit our Nomination by Petition page.
Nominated by Political Party Convention or Committee
A registered voter who was not a candidate in the primary election may have their name placed on the general election ballot for a partisan office if they are nominated by a political party convention or committee.
Filing requirements differ for each elective office; however, all offices have similar filing elements. To view filing requirements for a specific office, visit the Offices Up for Election page.
Elements
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Candidates must meet all qualifications for the office prescribed by law.
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Candidates must complete a Candidate Filing Form.
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Candidates may need to complete a Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission (NADC) C-1 Form.
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Candidates may need to pay a filing fee.
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Candidates for Omaha City Council and Mayor need to collect signatures of registered voters within their districts or within the City of Omaha. Candidates for Omaha City Council are required to collect at least 100 signatures. Candidates for Omaha Mayor are required to collect at least 1,000 signatures.
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Candidates may also complete a Candidate Information Form so the Election Commission can provide basic candidate information for voters on its website.
Deadlines
All required filing elements must be received by the Filing Officer (Election Commissioner or Secretary of State) no later than the close of business on the filing deadline.
Party Change
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Candidates filing for partisan offices may not change their political party affiliation after the first Friday in December prior to the primary election.
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A candidate who is registered as a nonpartisan voter may change their political party affiliation at any time prior to the candidate filing deadline.
For county and local offices, the Election Commission is the official filing location; however, for State and Federal offices, the Secretary of State's office is the official filing location.
Filing locations differ for each elective office. To view filing locations for a specific office, visit the Offices Up for Election page.