BROKEN BOW, Neb. — Custer County election officials carried out a full pre-election test Wednesday morning to ensure voting equipment is functioning properly before ballots are officially counted in next week’s primary election.
The test, commonly referred to as a mock election, is required statewide prior to every Nebraska statewide election. During the process, election workers fed nearly 1,400 practice ballots through the county’s tabulation system to verify vote totals and confirm the machine was accurately reading ballots.
Officials first reset the system by printing a zero-count report showing no votes had been recorded. Ballots were then scanned and automatically sorted into categories that included properly completed ballots, ballots containing write-in selections, and ballots flagged for issues such as unclear markings or partially filled bubbles.
Any write-in votes identified by the scanner are reviewed manually through a separate computer system that is not connected to the internet. Election staff inspect images of the ballots to determine voter intent before those totals are added to the final count.
Custer County Clerk Kelly Jacobsen said the testing process produced the expected outcome and confirmed the county’s equipment is prepared for Election Day.
Jacobsen is overseeing her first election as county clerk. She will work alongside Deputy Clerk Nissa Shelby and election staff member Dawn Raber-Goodwin when official ballots are processed after polls close at 8 p.m. on May 12.
While unofficial vote totals will be released election night, results are not finalized immediately. Nebraska law requires a canvassing process before certification, and voters who cast provisional ballots without identification must still verify eligibility before results become official.
Election workers are also preparing for Nebraska’s voter ID law, which remains in effect following the passage of LB514 in 2023. Poll workers have been directed to request identification from every voter at polling locations.
Accepted IDs include Nebraska driver’s licenses and state identification cards, military IDs, tribal IDs, U.S. passports, Nebraska college IDs, and certain records from care facilities or assisted-living providers.
Residents can confirm their polling place, voter registration information, party affiliation, and absentee ballot status through Nebraska’s online VoterCheck system.
