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Nebraska weighs striking party labels from county ballots

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lawmakers in the nation's only nonpartisan legislature are considering several measures that would remove party politics from county-level elections.

A legislative committee will hear three bills this week that would make all county races nonpartisan or allow county residents to decide if they want nonpartisan elections.

Sen. Matt Hansen of Lincoln, who sponsored one of the measures, says party politics have no role in most county jobs. His bill would eliminate all partisan elections for county-level positions.

Measures sponsored by Sens. Sue Crawford of Bellevue and Dan Hughes of Venango would let county inhabitants vote on having nonpartisan county elections.

The Nebraska Association of County Officials opposes the bills. Association executive director Larry Dix says party labels help voters identify their potential county commissioners' fundamental policy beliefs.

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