Lawmakers hear pros and cons to changing Omaha city elections schedule

Yahoo

07-02-2025

Voters participate in Nebraska's May primary election. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)
LINCOLN — A former Omaha mayor and an Omaha City Council lobbyist objected Thursday to a measure seeking to change the city's local elections to coincide with statewide presidential elections.
State Sen. John Cavanaugh, also from Omaha, Nebraska's largest city, proposed Legislative Bill 19.
During the public hearing on the bill before the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, Cavanaugh said that adding city races to the statewide ballot beginning in 2028 would save taxpayers significant expense by not having to conduct separate elections.
He expects such a shift would increase Omaha voter participation, calling current city elections 'typically low-turnout affairs' due partly to voter fatigue from November elections.
Cavanaugh contends furthermore that the city's current spring election schedule, an April primary and May general, offers an edge to incumbent office-holders.
'An election which minimizes voter participation serves only to benefit those who are already participating, a narrow group of special interests who can disproportionately influence not only the outcome of the elections but also outcomes in government,' he said.
Cavanaugh said he understood that some would argue he proposed the change for partisan advantage, but that he has heard from Democrats who oppose shifting city elections and Republicans who support moving them.
Dave Richardson, a retired school teacher, spoke in favor of the Cavanaugh proposal, predicting it would lead to greater public participation in selecting Omaha's leadership.
He said that while poll workers see the duty as a 'labor of love,' having four elections in a year can be a strain.
First up to oppose LB 19 was Jim Suttle, a Democrat who served on the Omaha City Council before being elected Omaha mayor in 2009.
He argued that adding Omaha elections to the statewide ballot would diminish the significance and attention to local races.
'If you move this to the fall, the city election will not be the A election, it will be the C-level election on that ballot,' he said.
He believes Omaha candidates would face too much competition in raising funds and securing volunteers, leading to 'just oodles and oodles of difficulties.'
Over time, Suttle contends, those running for Omaha city offices would have to self-fund elections, squeezing out all but 'the wealthy.'
Of voter participation, he asserts that the bill won't 'help one iota' because 'we're a country that's so self-absorbed we don't really appreciate the luxury.'
Sean Kelley, a lobbyist for the Omaha City Council, said the bipartisan panel he represents has not seen 'huge clamoring' to shift to a statewide general election calendar.
He said city elections could get short shrift. 'It would really be hard to break through the noise.'
Kelley said Omaha City Council members also object to what would be a disruption of a term if the change occurred — something Cavanaugh called 'growing pains of transition.'
While his proposal did not address other cities, Cavanaugh suggested that the concept could be broadened to other cities such as Lincoln if support existed.
Of people who submitted written comments on the bill, 15 supported the Cavanaugh bill and 17 were opposed.
The Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee did not take any action on advancing the bill to the full Legislature.
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