VALENTINE, Neb. - With Nebraska’s general election underway, the Secretary of State’s Office estimates that around three of every four registered voters in the state will cast a ballot. In some counties, however, turnout is expected to be even higher.

In Cherry County in north-central Nebraska, around 70% of voters had already turned in their ballots by Monday morning. With continued voting through Monday and into Tuesday, Cherry County Clerk Brittny Longcor anticipates one of the highest turnouts in the state.

“The general elections are always higher than the primary for voter turnout. The presidential elections are always higher than the gubernatorial, so we expect it to be higher turnout across the state,” said Longcor.

Longcor also noted that voter turnout has increased in the county dramatically since 2020 when it switched to mail-out ballots.

“We’ve seen an average of 20% higher from voting at the polls versus voting by mail,” said Longcor.

According to a recent report from Flatwater Free Press, eleven Nebraska counties have seen similar trends, with consistently higher voter turnout after switching to all-mail voting—an option permitted by state law in counties with populations under 10,000.