Registered voters can request that an Early Voting ballot be mailed directly to them prior to each election, or they can visit the Election Commission and vote early in person. They can also have someone pick up a ballot for them prior to the election.
Print and complete one of the forms below to request your ballot to be mailed. No printer? No problem, just write your information on a piece of paper following this example.
Note: Some forms contain red text. To ensure, all text is printed, it is recommended to print in black and white, if color printing is not available.
The Douglas County Election Commission has thirteen drop box locations to give voters an opportunity to return election materials, including ballots, without using the mail. When available, drop boxes are open 24/7, and no postage is required. All drop boxes are available approximately three months prior to statewide primary, statewide general, and City of Omaha elections. Select drop boxes are available for 22 days prior to all-mail special elections. The drop boxes will accept ballots up until the close of polls on election day (8:00 p.m. for polling place elections and 5:00 p.m. for all-mail elections).
The current availability of each drop box is listed below each drop box name.
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City/County Building
Unavailable
Located: Between 18th & 19th on Farnam
near sidewalk
1819 Farnam Street, Omaha
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South Omaha Library
Unavailable
Located: East side parking lot
2808 Q Street, Omaha
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Charles B. Washington Branch Library
Unavailable
Located: Southwest corner of building
2868 Ames Avenue, Omaha
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Clarkson College Parking Lot 8
Unavailable
Located: Northwest corner,
east side of parking lot
42nd & Farnam Street, Omaha
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Asian Market
Unavailable
Located: West end of parking lot
321 N 76th Street, Omaha
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Ralston Police Department
Unavailable
Located: Southwest corner of building
7400 Main Street, Ralston
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Goodwill (Updated Location)
Unavailable
Located: On median in Goodwill's south
parking lot next to Home Depot
4805 N 72nd Street, Omaha
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Milton R. Abrahams Branch Library
Unavailable
Located: South of main entrance
5111 N 90th Street, Omaha
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Douglas County Engineer's Office
Unavailable
Located: Near sidewalk by parking stalls
15505 W Maple Road, Omaha
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Millard Public Schools Foundation
Unavailable
Located: Northwest corner of building,
end of sidewalk
5231 South 159th Avenue, Omaha
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Spring Ridge Shopping Center
Unavailable
Located: On median when entering at 178th St,
next to post office box
178th & Pacific Street, Omaha
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Bess Johnson Elkhorn Branch Library
Unavailable
Located: Northeast corner of building
2100 Reading Plaza, Elkhorn
Any Douglas County voter who was registered prior to the voter registration deadline is eligible to request an early voting ballot, either by mail, in person, or by agent.
Voters can have a ballot sent directly to them in the mail, either to their home address or to another address if they are away from home. Voters should send an Early Voting Ballot Application to the Election Commission requesting a ballot be mailed to them.
Requirements:
- Completed applications may be returned to the Election Commission by mail or in person to 12220 W Center Rd, Omaha, NE 68144; by fax to (402) 444-4181; or by email by attaching a picture of the completed application and sending it to early.voting@douglascounty-ne.gov
- A voter can print an Early Voting Ballot Application or send us a request with the following information (see example).
- Name of Election (e.g. 2010 General Election)
- Voter's Name
- Voter's Home (Registered) Address
- Address where ballot should be mailed, if different from voter's home address
- Voter's Date of Birth
- Voter's Nebraska Driver's License or State ID Number OR include a copy of other valid photo identification or completed Reasonable Impediment Certification
- Voter's Phone Number
- Voter's Email Address
- Voter's Signature or the signature of the person acting as an agent
- All requests must be received by 6:00 p.m. on the second Friday prior to each election.
Envelopes:
- Early voting ballots are mailed in gold-colored envelopes (pictured below) measuring approximately 6 inches by 9 inches.
- A return envelope (pictured below) is included with the early voting ballot. The return envelopes are gold-colored and measure 6 inches by 9 inches. Voters must sign the back of the return envelope in order for the ballot to be counted.
In July 2018, the Douglas County Election Commission began offering a program for voters to sign up to be on the Early Voting Request List.
This program includes the following:
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Voter that plans to vote early by mail for future scheduled elections signs up to be on the mailing list by checking the box on the By-Mail Early Voting Ballot Application while requesting a ballot for an election or by completing the Early Voting Request List Sign-Up Form during non-election times. See top of page for form.
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Voter receives a postcard application approximately 2 to 3 months prior to each scheduled election.
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Voter must complete, sign, and return the postcard application in order to have an early voting ballot mailed to them.
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Voter that prefers to vote at their polling place on Election Day should not sign up to be on this list.
- All in-person early voting takes place at the Election Commission.
- The voter can vote their ballot at the Election Commission, or the voter can take their ballot home as long as the ballot is returned to the Election Commission or a drop box location before 8:00 p.m. on election day.
- In-person early voting takes place 30 days prior to a statewide election and fifteen days prior to all other elections (e.g. City of Omaha Elections, School Bond Elections, Levy Override Elections, etc.).
- An agent is a person acting on behalf of a registered voter.
- An agent can request an early voting ballot to be mailed to a voter or can pick up an early voting ballot for a voter.
- An agent can only be an agent for two voters each election (requesting a ballot for yourself is not considered acting as an agent).
- An agent does not have to be a registered voter, but they must be able to provide the name, registered address, date of birth, and Nebraska or State ID number of the voter.
- If an agent is picking up an early voting ballot for a voter, the agent has until 7:00 p.m. on election day to come to the Election Commission to pick up a ballot.
- All ballots must be returned to the Election Commission or a drop box location before 8:00 p.m. on election day.
- Ballots are collected from the post office and drop boxes each weekday.
- Voter's signature on the return envelope is verified.
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The status of each ballot return envelope is logged in the voter registration system.
- All ballot returns are logged the same day they are received.
- An audit is completed to ensure all ballot returns are accounted for.
- Ballot returns are then stored in a secure room until opening begins.
- Accepted ballot return envelopes are opened by a team of two workers of differing political parties.
- The ballot is removed and separated from the envelope so that each voter's ballot remains secret.
- Accepted ballots are placed in boxes which are sealed and stored in a secure room.
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Accepted early voting ballots can begin to be counted the Monday prior to Election Day.
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These ballots are part of the first sets of results after the closing of the polls on Election Night.
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All early voting ballots returned on Election Day are verified and processed the day after Election Day.
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The accepted ballots are then counted the Friday following Election Day and are included in the final official election results.
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All accepted early voting ballots are counted and reported.
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Suspended ballots are processed during the canvass (auditing) of the election.
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If accepted, the ballot will be counted and added to the final official election results.
- After the canvass of the election is complete, all early voting ballots and materials are stored for 22 months.
- Anyone who is a registered voter in Douglas County and is a patient in a Douglas County hospital on election day is eligible to have their ballot delivered to the hospital by an Election Commission representative.
- The patient, or an agent acting on the patient's behalf, must complete an Early Voting Ballot Application, which can be obtained from a hospital staff member.
- All patient applications must be received by the Election Commission by 5:00 p.m. the day before the election.
- If a patient needs assistance marking or reading their ballot, a Voter Assistance Oath must be completed and returned with the ballot.
- Ballots must be returned to the Election Commission or a drop box location by 8:00 p.m. on election day.
- Hospital staff assist patients in completing the requests and ensure the ballots are returned to the Election Commission by the deadline.
In order to assist residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, the Douglas County Election Commission arranges for ballots to be mailed directly to the residents of these facilities.
- The resident wishing to vote, or an agent acting on the resident's behalf, must complete an Early Voting Ballot Application prior to the voter registration deadline for that election.
- If a resident wishes to vote and is not listed as an active resident of the nursing home or assisted living facility, then they must also complete a Nebraska Voter Registration Application.
- All completed Early Voting Ballot Applications must be faxed, mailed, emailed, or delivered to the Douglas County Election Commission no later than 6:00 p.m. on the second Friday before election day.
- If a resident needs assistance marking or reading their ballot, a Voter Assistance Oath must be completed and returned with the ballot.
- Upon completion, the ballots must be returned in their respective envelopes to the Election Commission by mail or in person.
- Ballots must be returned to the Election Commission or a drop box location by 8:00 p.m. on election day.
There are a number of deadlines related to voter registration and early voting. Please review them carefully so that residents have the opportunity to vote each election.
All Nebraska Voter Registration Applications must be received by the voter registration deadline in order for a resident to vote in the upcoming election.
Please note that Early Voting Ballot Applications may be faxed or mailed to the Election Commission; however, all Nebraska Voter Registration Applications must be mailed to the Election Commission or delivered in person. We are unable to accept any faxed voter registration applications.
An emergency responder is defined as, "a person responding to a mutual aid agreement or a state of emergency proclamation issued by the Governor or the President of the United States who is temporarily assigned by a governmental or nongovernmental relief agency or employer to provide support to victims of an emergency or a natural disaster or to rebuild the infrastructure of an area affected by such emergency or natural disaster."
Emergency responders may request a ballot be emailed or faxed to them according to the following:
- Applications may be submitted to the Election Commission starting 45 days before any election.
- Emergency responders must complete a Nebraska Early Voting Ballot Application - Emergency Responder.
- Applications must be physically signed.
- Completed applications may be returned to the Election Commission by mail to 12220 W Center Rd, Omaha, NE 68144; by fax to (402) 444-4181; or by email by attaching a picture of the completed application and sending it to early.voting@douglascounty-ne.gov.
- The deadline for the Election Commission to receive the completed and signed application is 12:00 p.m. on election day.
- Ballots must be returned to the Election Commission by 8:00 p.m. on election day.
- To return the ballot via email or fax a request must be made to the Election Commission.