The short version
Nebraska holds a May primary, and note its Legislature is officially nonpartisan. You get on the ballot by filing a candidate filing form with a filing fee, or by petitioning onto the ballot. Filing deadlines differ for incumbents and non-incumbents.
- Offices you can run for
- Federal (U.S. House and Senate); statewide offices (Governor and other state officials); the (nonpartisan) Legislature; county and municipal offices; and judicial seats (retention).
- How to get on the ballot
- File your candidate filing form and pay the filing fee for the office (checks payable to the Nebraska Secretary of State), or petition onto the primary ballot with at least 100 signatures from registered voters of your party in each of Nebraska's three congressional districts (and then still pay the fee). Federal, state, and legislative candidates file with the Secretary of State.
- Who runs candidate filing
- Nebraska Secretary of State — Elections Division(402) 471-2555
This is a plain-language overview, not legal advice. Filing deadlines and fees change every election cycle and vary by office; the official Nebraska resources below are the final word. When in doubt, the elections authority is right and we're wrong.
Find your Nebraska county
Every county runs its own filing office and its own local races. See all 93 Nebraska counties, each with its election office, fees, deadlines and local facts.
Official Nebraska candidate resources
Start here for the exact deadlines, fees, forms, and signature counts for your office and cycle. Note: 2026 filing has closed in most states, so these resources govern the standing rules; check the official calendar for your next filing window.
Once you're on the ballot, Motion51 runs your field game.
Get your district's voter file loaded, cut into walkable turf, and onto an app your volunteers use at the door. Nebraska is fully available; see how to get your voter file.
Talk to us about your Nebraska race
Tell us what you're running for and we'll help you go from "qualified" to "knocking doors": voter file loaded, turf cut, volunteers set up.