The Nebraska Legislature adjourned its regular session on April 17 after enacting five election-related bills, all of which Gov. Jim Pillen (R) signed.

Among those bills was LB 1075, which expands the state’s ban on foreign contributions to ballot measure committees.  

In 2022, Nebraska enacted a law banning direct and indirect contributions to ballot measure committees, which Nebraska calls ballot question committees, from foreign citizens, governments, businesses, and political parties.

LB 1075 requires ballot question committees to certify that they have not received contributions from foreign nationals. Donors must also state that they have not accepted more than $100,000 in funds from foreign nationals in the previous four years.

The bill also bans foreign nationals from making independent expenditures on ballot measures and increases fines for committees violating the prohibition to $100,000 or the amount of the prohibited contribution, whichever is greater.

The legislation was an omnibus election bill that also set requirements for precinct size and established procedures for when more than half of a governing body is vacant, among other provisions.

The legislation passed the state’s unicameral legislature unanimously on April 10, and Pillen signed it on April 15.

Other election bills enacted in 2026 include:

• LB 784, which amends residency requirements for sheriffs.
• LB 798, which establishes procedures for second-class cities to elect some of their governing body members by ward and some at large.
• LB 986, which allows campaign funds to be used for security services and systems.
• LB 1135, which requires voters to approve the sale or transfer of any municipally-owned waterworks, sewer system, or water system to a tribe.

Nebraska enacted four election-related bills in 2025, four in 2024, and two bills in 2023. Legislators introduced 22 election bills in 2026 and 21 bills in 2025.