Local Early Voting Lacks The Drama at The National Stage

BEATRICE – President Trump has questioned the integrity of voting by mail, ahead of this year’s elections, but it seems to be a popular option among many Americans. Although Trump has warned of massive fraud through voting by mail, evidence about election fraud in total points to the contrary.

Gage County Board Chairman Eric Tiemann says locally, he has confidence in the system that allows people to vote early, if they prefer.
"When we have ballots that go out, and come back in...the election commissioner in the clerk's office goes through those...they check every signature, they match everything up. If there's any discrepancies, they call...they find out if there's anything out of the ordinary. This being said, I have complete faith in our mail-in ballot system".

While he is confident in the local process, Tiemann says he’s not so confident of the process in other parts of the country. He said he prefers to vote in person but chose to vote early during the Nebraska Primary over concerns during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

"I voted by early ballot in the primary, just for fears that a lot of the election workers are in the higher risk classes than I am, and I didn't want to incidentally make someone sick, by accident".

Gage County residents have some options for returning their early ballot……by mail, in person at the clerk’s office, or at a newly-established drop box outside of the courthouse.

"There's a stainless steel box all marked up with flags...I believe it says vote here, or clerk's office or election commissioner. So, any early ballots can be dropped off there. It doesn't go to the post office, if there's any fear about the post office. It goes directly inside to the courthouse. The dropbox we've used for years over on the other side, by the parking lot...that's no longer for ballots. The new one with the flag and decals and everything and says, vote here....that's the new drop box for ballots".

Cards were recently mailed out by the Gage County Clerk’s Office giving residents the option to request an early ballot, for the November General Election.
Clerks Offices in Nebraska could accept applications for early voting ballots, as of July 6th. Early voting ballots will be mailed out, starting September 28th.