County, State Choose Trump

As of Saturday afternoon, the Associated Press announced former Vice-President Joe Biden had reached the 270 votes needed to clinch the presidency. The count as of 3:18 p.m. MST Saturday was 290 Electoral College votes for Biden to 214 electoral votes for President Donald Trump.

Nebraska voters made their voices heard and favored keeping President Donald Trump in office.

With 94 percent of votes counted as of mid-day Nov. 4, 58.8 percent of returns, 542,398 votes, were in support of President Trump while 39.1 percent or 361,017 votes were in support of former Vice President Joe Biden. In Cheyenne County, Trump earned 80 percent of the votes while Biden 18 percent. Deuel County voters cast 84 percent of the votes behind Trump and 14 percent to Biden. Kimball County voters had 83 percent of the votes for Trump and 14 percent for Biden.

Trump earned 1,461 votes in Cheyenne County compared to Biden's 609 and Jo Jorgensen's 32.

For the US Senate seat, Cheyenne County voters retained Ben Sasse by a margin of 1,372 votes to 482 for Christ Janicek, and 119 for Gene Siadek. Statewide, Sasse captured 67.7 percent of the votes to Janicek's 26 percent, and Gene Siadek's 6.3 percent.

According to netnebraska.org, 546,036 absentee ballots were requested in Nebraska with 482,919 returned. Republicans requested 247,067, returning 216,301. Democrat voters requested 197,007 absentee ballots and returned 179,990. Independent's requested 97,197 and returned 82,866. Libertarians requested 4,765 and returned 3,762.

Voters also supported passing Amendment 1. Amendment 1 called for eliminating a provision in the Nebraska State Constitution that states slavery or involuntary servitude may be used as punishment for conviction of a crime.

Voters also supported Amendment 2 by 1042 in favor and 872 opposed. Amendment 2 . Amendment 2 amends the state constitution to authorize the Legislature to extend the maximum length of time for repayment from 15 years to 20 years.

Voters also considered several Initiative Measures on the ballot. Initiative Measure 428 asked voters to consider reducing the maximum annual percentage rate to 36 percent, prohibits payday lenders from evading the rate cap and deems uncollectable any delayed deposit transaction made in violation of this rate cap. County voters cast 1,423 votes in favor and 474 against.

Initiative Measure 429 asked to amend the Nebraska Constitution “to state that laws may be enacted to provide for the authorization, regulation, and taxation of all forms of games of chance to be conducted by licensees.” The games would be held within licenses racetrack enclosures in the state. Cheyenne County voters supported the proposal 1,139 in favor to 807 against.

Initiative Measure 430 is similar to 429, which “allows games of chance to be conducted by authorizing gaming operators within licensed racetrack enclosures in Nebraska; establishes a Nebraska Gaming Commission to license and regulate such gaming; and amends and repeals existing sections of law to harmonize provisions consistent with the enactment of such statute. Initiative Measure 430 passed 1,179 to 714.

Initiative 431 asked for a 20 percent annual tax on gross gaming revenue from games of chance. The proposal is for 75 percent of the gaming tax revenues to go to the State for credit of 2.5 percent to both the Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund and General Fund, and 70 percent to the Property Tax Credit Cash Fund, and distributes 25 percent of gaming tax revenue to the county where the licensed racetrack is located.

Cheyenne County voters supported the measure almost 2:1, 1,247 votes in favor and 714 against.