LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A proposed increase in Nebraska's minimum wage will need at least 80,386 valid signatures to qualify for the November ballot.
The Nebraska secretary of state's office announced the exact number on Monday. Supporters of a higher minimum wage have likely exceeded that number, having submitted nearly 135,000 signatures last week for verification.
The ballot measure would increase Nebraska's minimum wage from $7.25 an hour, the same as the federal minimum wage, to $9 an hour by 2016.
To qualify for the ballot, a petition drive needs signatures from at least 7 percent of registered voters. As of Thursday, the total number of registered voters in Nebraska was 1,154,790.
The petitions must include signatures from at least 5 percent of the registered voters in 38 counties.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.