New Pilot GIS Software to Help Nebraska Election Security

Secretary of State Robert Evnen thanked the National States Geographical Information Council (NSGIC) for selecting Nebraska in a pilot project.

NSGIC is hosting a GEO-enabled elections project that will help to be sure correct ballots will be issued to voters with even greater accuracy. “Nebraska is one of five states selected for this pilot program,” stated Evnen. “Nebraska is dedicated to improving our elections data management system by integrating new technology.” Geographic Information System (GIS) technology is an application for gathering, managing, and analyzing data.

“Integrating GIS systems will work to ensure voters are given the correct ballot for the precinct in which they live.” Evnen explained, “This is especially important in local elections such as county commissioner, NRD districts, and school boards.” By identifying voting districts with this technology, Nebraska will be better prepared for redistricting after the 2020 census.

Evnen identified a core team for implementation testing led by Wayne Bena, Deputy Secretary of State-Elections. The project will start with Sarpy County testing a previously unused GIS module of Nebraska’s voter registration system, with the ultimate goal of a statewide use. The GEO-Enabled Elections Pilot Program duration is three months rolled out in three phases. Upon successful completion of this initial testing, a process document will be created which will be made available to other counties that wish to use the GIS solution.