(Picture credit Nebraska Secretary of State)
The Good Government Lincoln Project announced Wednesday evening that it had resubmitted signatures for its proposed charter amendments to the City of Lincoln following its initial petition submission being flagged for fraudulent signatures.
The group had first submitted signatures on July 20 for verification in order for its three reforms to appear on the upcoming 2026 midterm ballot. Led by former state senator Tony Fulton, the group would seek to institute term limits for city council members, allow residents of Lincoln’s extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction to vote in city elections, and realign city elections to coincide with state and federal elections in hopes of increasing voter turnout.
“The group turned in more than 9,000 signatures per amendment,” Good Government Lincoln said via press release, a total about 750 less per petition than its first submission.
Good Government Lincoln relaunched its signature effort in early August, before its initial failure had been announced. The group claimed to have caught wind of “premature celebration out of the mayor’s office,” complaints alleging that the mayor’s chief of staff had told multiple people the initiatives had failed only days after they were submitted.
Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird had publicly voiced her opposition to the measure shortly after it first launched.
Lancaster County Election Commissioner Todd Wiltgen must verify 5,000 signatures before each amendment can be referred to the Lincoln City Council. Over 65% of the first bout of submitted signatures were found to be fraudulent.
Statewide investigations into signature fraud began after Brett Lindstrom’s drive to appear on the governor’s ballot also fell short due to fraudulent signatures. Investigators now say they are looking into every statewide ballot initiative.
Lancaster County Chief Deputy Sheriff Ben Houchin stated Wednesday that signature fraud in this year’s ballot initiatives has been so extensive that law enforcement still lacks an exact count. Five arrests have already been made in relation to a subcontractor used to gather Good Government signatures.
“We again want to thank Lancaster County officials and law enforcement for their swift and aggressive action to catch and bring to justice the criminals who attempted to defraud our petition system,” said Fulton on Wednesday. “The support we’ve seen from the people of Lincoln to overcome the obstacles we faced with our initial turn-in has been phenomenal.”
Once signatures are verified and the measure referred to the city council, the body has 30 days to approve the provision or else it appears on the next eligible ballot by default.
Fulton remains confident that Lincoln voters favor the group’s measures, and says they deserve to vote on them this year.
“The voters are ready for a government that’s more accountable, more representative and has more voter participation. Voters should have a say in November on these important issues and today is the first step to making that happen.”
— Lewis Thune is a writing fellow with The Plains Sentinel.