Lincoln voters supported a proposed volleyball complex financing plan and four of five proposed City Charter amendments in Tuesday’s general election, while several closely watched Lancaster County races produced substantial leads for Democratic candidates.
Across Nebraska, Republican incumbents Jim Pillen and Pete Ricketts emerged with sizable advantages after trailing in early returns. Republican Congressman Mike Flood also overcame an early deficit in Nebraska’s First Congressional District.
In Omaha’s Second Congressional District, Democrat Denise Powell won the race to replace retiring Republican Congressman Don Bacon after Republican Brinker Harding conceded.
The results remain unofficial, with additional ballots awaiting counting in Lancaster County and some precincts elsewhere in Nebraska still classified as partially reporting.
According to the Nebraska Secretary of State’s results updated at 4:20 a.m. Wednesday, 742,722 ballots had been counted statewide, representing 58.71% of registered voters. Of Nebraska’s 1,322 precincts, 1,269 were fully reporting, and 53 were partially reporting.
Lancaster County’s final election-night report, issued at 3:15 a.m., included all 199 precincts and 123,964 ballots cast.
Lincoln voters support volleyball complex, four charter amendments
Among the most consequential local decisions were six questions on Lincoln ballots, including competing proposals that would affect city election dates and City Council term limits.
Ballot Question 1 — Volleyball complex financing
Voters supported a proposal allowing Lincoln to use state assistance for a planned volleyball sports complex.
The unofficial count was 54,055 in favor and 45,325 against, giving the proposal approximately 54.4% support.
The vote authorizes the proposed financing approach; it should not be interpreted as a guarantee of the project’s construction or as resolving all subsequent development decisions.
Ballot Questions 2 and 3 — City election dates
Both competing proposals to change Lincoln’s municipal election schedule received more votes in favor than against.
Question 2, which would begin aligning city elections with statewide elections in 2028, received 50,950 votes in favor and 45,122 against.
Question 3, the city’s alternative proposal beginning the transition in 2030, received 56,308 votes in favor and 37,619 against.
Question 3 received 5,358 more affirmative votes than Question 2. Under the competing-amendment framework, the proposal receiving more affirmative votes would prevail if both are approved.
The result indicates support for moving Lincoln elections onto a statewide election schedule, with the city’s later transition proposal receiving the stronger vote.
Ballot Questions 4 and 5 — City Council term limits
Voters also supported both competing proposals to establish term limits for Lincoln City Council members.
Question 4, which would limit members to two consecutive four-year terms, received 66,021 votes in favor and 32,818 against.
Question 5, proposing a three-term limit, received 60,349 votes in favor and 36,067 against.
Question 4 received 5,672 more affirmative votes than Question 5, putting the two-term proposal ahead under the competing-amendment framework.
Ballot Question 6 — Extraterritorial voting
A proposal extending voting eligibility in certain city elections to residents of Lincoln’s three-mile extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction was trailing.
The unofficial results showed 46,916 votes in favor and 50,369 against — a difference of 3,453 votes.
The measure was the only one of Lincoln’s six ballot questions with more votes against than in favor in the election-night report.
Pitts holds commanding lead in Lancaster County sheriff’s race
Democrat Jay Pitts appears positioned to become Lancaster County’s next sheriff.
Pitts received 70,387 votes, compared with 49,078 for Republican Ben Houchin, an advantage of 21,309 votes.
The race will determine the successor to retiring Sheriff Terry Wagner.
Pitts’ advantage extends beyond the early-voting count. The county’s election-night report shows Pitts receiving 43,269 Election Day votes compared with 35,839 for Houchin.
Pitts also led among early voters, receiving 27,118 votes compared with 13,239 for Houchin.
Although the margin is substantial, the county has not completed all ballot counting or certified the election.
Schulte overcomes early deficit in county commissioner race
Republican incumbent Matt Schulte moved ahead of challenger Bryan Seck in Lancaster County Commission District 3 as Election Day returns were counted.
The final election-night report showed Schulte with 18,071 votes and Seck with 13,582, giving Schulte a 4,489-vote lead.
Seck, who appeared on the ballot by petition, had led in early voting. He received 6,217 early votes compared with 4,756 for Schulte.
But Schulte received 13,315 Election Day votes to Seck’s 7,365, reversing the earlier advantage.
The race illustrates how dramatically the election-night picture changed as precinct results were added to the early vote totals.
Democrats lead several other Lancaster County offices
Democratic challenger Randall Ritnour leads Republican incumbent Pat Condon in the county attorney’s race.
Ritnour received 63,432 votes, compared with 54,617 for Condon, an advantage of 8,815 votes.
In the county treasurer’s race, Democrat Rachel Garver leads Republican Jasmine Gibson, 68,613 to 48,827.
Democrat Dan Nolte leads Republican Tim Johns for county assessor and register of deeds, 68,367 to 47,617.
Democrat Kristen Anderson leads Republican Landon Parks in the race for clerk of the district court, 65,391 to 50,807.
Other county officeholders, including County Clerk Matt Hansen, Public Defender Kristi Egger and County Engineer Pam Dingman, faced no named opponent on the ballot.
Pillen leads statewide despite losing Lancaster County
Republican Gov. Jim Pillen emerged from election night with a substantial statewide lead over Democrat Lynne Walz.
The Secretary of State’s 4:20 a.m. figures showed Pillen and Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly with 370,368 votes, compared with 310,091 for Walz and running mate Ben Steffen.
Pillen’s statewide advantage stood at 60,277 votes.
The Associated Press has called the race for Pillen.
The statewide outcome contrasts sharply with Lancaster County, where Walz received 67,968 votes compared with 46,875 for Pillen.
The difference underscores the political divide between Lincoln-area voters and much of the rest of Nebraska.
Ricketts leads Osborn in U.S. Senate race.
Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts also overcame an early deficit to independent challenger Dan Osborn.
Unofficial statewide results showed Ricketts with 367,378 votes compared with 319,810 for Osborn — a lead of 47,568 votes.
Other candidates included Mike Marvin of the Legal Marijuana Now Party, Robin Richards of the Nebraska Working People Party and Chuck Conboy of the America First Party.
Osborn performed particularly well in Lancaster County, receiving 70,299 votes compared with 46,604 for Ricketts.
But Ricketts built his statewide lead as returns arrived from other parts of Nebraska.
Flood leads closer First Congressional District contest
Republican Congressman Mike Flood holds a narrower advantage in his reelection bid against Democrat Chris Backemeyer.
The Secretary of State reported Flood with 121,374 votes and Backemeyer with 113,134, giving Flood an 8,240-vote lead.
Libertarian Nik Sandman received 4,380 votes, while America First candidate Dan Hartong received 4,184.
The First District includes Lincoln and much of eastern Nebraska.
Backemeyer won a substantial advantage in Lancaster County, receiving 67,762 votes compared with 50,829 for Flood.
However, Flood’s support outside Lancaster County was enough to move him ahead in the districtwide count.
Of the district’s 438 precincts, 414 were fully reporting, and 24 were partially reporting as of the state’s 4:20 a.m. update.
The result remained unofficial, and the race had not been independently verified as called at the time of this update.
Powell wins Second Congressional District.
Democrat Denise Powell won Nebraska’s Second Congressional District race after Republican Brinker Harding conceded.
Powell received 138,733 votes, compared with 100,895 for Harding in the Secretary of State’s latest available results.
Libertarian Eric Michael Foreman received 6,310 votes.
All 334 precincts in the district were fully reporting.
Powell’s victory gives Democrats the Omaha-area congressional seat being vacated by Republican Don Bacon, who did not seek reelection.
In Nebraska’s Third Congressional District, Republican incumbent Adrian Smith held a commanding lead over Democrat Becky Kelly Stille and three other challengers.
Nebraska voters reject sports wagering proposals.
Nebraska voters appear to have rejected two proposals that would have authorized and regulated online sports wagering.
Initiative 440, the authorization measure, received 324,828 votes in favor and 396,050 against.
Initiative 441, the accompanying regulatory measure, received 327,844 votes in favor and 392,980 against.
Both measures were trailing by substantial margins in the Secretary of State’s unofficial count.
Meanwhile, Initiative 442, concerning participation in girls’ and women’s sports, was receiving strong support.
The measure had 484,757 votes in favor and 228,791 against.
Proposed Constitutional Amendment 1, which concerned extending the terms of Nebraska state senators, was also headed for defeat.
The unofficial count showed 130,635 votes in favor and 572,679 against.
Other statewide races
Republicans were leading several other statewide offices.
Attorney General Mike Hilgers led Democratic challenger Jocelyn Brasher, 400,072 to 312,077.
Republican Scott Petersen led Democrat Sarah Slattery in the secretary of state’s race, 387,448 to 291,079.
Republican Joey Spellerberg led Democrat Daniel Ebers for state treasurer, 415,218 to 295,021.
Republican State Auditor Mike Foley led America First candidate John Knight, 484,755 to 164,774.
Those figures reflect the Secretary of State’s 4:20 a.m. unofficial report.
Additional ballot counting scheduled in Lancaster County
Although all 199 Lancaster County precincts have reported, the Election Commission says the election-night count is not the final ballot count.
Approximately 6,000 early ballots received Monday and Tuesday are scheduled to be counted Friday, November 6.
Approximately another 3,000 provisional ballots are scheduled for counting on Friday, November 13.
Those additional ballots could affect close contests and the final margins in races and ballot questions.
The county’s 3:15 a.m. report is described as final for election-night precinct reporting, not as the certified final election result.
Where to find the latest election results
Nebraska Secretary of State — Official statewide results
https://electionresults.nebraska.gov/
The Secretary of State’s website provides statewide, congressional, legislative, and statewide ballot-measure results, along with precinct reporting information.
Lancaster County Election Commission — Official local results
https://www.lancaster.ne.gov/329/Election-Results
November 3, 2026 Lancaster County results and counting schedule
https://www.lancaster.ne.gov/1564/November-3-2026-General-Election-Results
The county’s election page includes downloadable unofficial election-night reports and information about subsequent ballot counts.
Latest 3:15 a.m. Lancaster County election-night results PDF
https://www.lancaster.ne.gov/DocumentCenter/View/34126
KLIN will continue to follow the election results, including additional ballot counts, close races, and the final disposition of Lincoln’s charter amendments.