What is the abbreviation for Nebraska, and what region is it in?

Nebraska's two-letter postal abbreviation is NE. The U.S. Census Bureau places it in the Midwest region, in the West North Central division, and about 1.96 million people lived there in the 2020 census.

When did Nebraska become a state, and what number state was it?

Nebraska became the 37th state on March 1, 1867, after Congress overrode President Andrew Johnson's veto of its statehood bill. Its land was part of the Louisiana Purchase, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act created the Nebraska Territory in 1854.

What does the name Nebraska mean?

The name comes from an Otoe word meaning "flat water," referring to the Platte River. The French name Platte also means "flat."

What is the capital of Nebraska, and has it always been the capital?

Lincoln has been the capital since 1867. Omaha was the territorial capital, but after statehood lawmakers moved the capital to the village of Lancaster and renamed it Lincoln, after the recently assassinated president. The current State Capitol, with a 400-foot tower, was completed in 1932.

What states border Nebraska?

Nebraska borders six states: South Dakota to the north, Iowa and Missouri to the east across the Missouri River, Kansas to the south, and Colorado and Wyoming to the west.

Why does Nebraska have a one-house legislature?

In 1934 Nebraska voters approved a constitutional amendment, championed by U.S. Senator George Norris, to replace the two-chamber legislature with a single chamber. The Unicameral first met in 1937 and has 49 senators elected in nonpartisan races, the only one-house and officially nonpartisan state legislature in the country.

What are Nebraska's nickname, motto, and symbols?

Nebraska is known as "The Cornhusker State." Its motto is "Equality Before the Law." Its state bird is the western meadowlark, its flower is the goldenrod, and its tree is the eastern cottonwood.

How many representatives and electoral votes does Nebraska have?

Based on the 2020 census, Nebraska has 3 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, the same as before, which gives it 5 votes in the Electoral College. Nebraska and Maine are the only states that can split their electoral votes: two go to the statewide winner and one to the winner of each congressional district.

Where did Arbor Day begin?

Arbor Day began in Nebraska. It was proposed by J. Sterling Morton of Nebraska City, and on the first Arbor Day, April 10, 1872, Nebraskans planted an estimated one million trees. Morton later served as U.S. secretary of agriculture.

U.S. State37th State • March 1, 1867

Nebraska NE

"The Cornhusker State"

A vast, underestimated state where the Oregon Trail crossed the Great Plains, Warren Buffett built an empire, and the world's only unicameral legislature quietly governs a land of corn, cattle, cranes, and sandhills.

State Debt - FY2024

$3.4 billion

Total state government debt outstanding at the close of fiscal 2024, including long-term bonds and short-term borrowing across state agencies and public universities.

Tax Revenue - FY2024

$8.1 billion

Total Nebraska state tax collections in fiscal 2024, led by the general sales tax ($3B) and the individual income tax ($2.5B).

Borrowing

Nebraska's constitution bars the state from incurring debt above $100,000, so Nebraska issues no general obligation bonds at all. Capital projects are paid for with cash, or financed through certificates of participation and revenue bonds issued by state agencies and the university and sold to investors in the municipal market. The state reported about $79 million in interest on its debt in fiscal 2024.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State Government Finances.

2.0M

Population

37th

State (1867)

Only

Unicameral State

600K+

Sandhills Cranes

Nebraska's 2026 Midterm Election: Who and What Is on Your Ballot

Hello, Nebraska. On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, you're choosing a governor, a U.S. senator, your member of the U.S. House, the attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, and auditor, and half of the nonpartisan Unicameral, plus four statewide ballot questions.

This is a midterm election, halfway through the president's term, and nationally it decides who controls Congress for the next two years. Nebraska's Senate race is unusual: there's no Democrat on the ballot, and the main challenger is an independent.

The ballot questions cover legislative term limits, two online sports betting measures that work as a pair, and girls' school sports. The Secretary of State's pamphlet has the official arguments for the three citizen initiatives.

Key dates and how voting works are right below. Use the buttons above to open each race. Facts first; the decision is yours.

Checked against official sources on October 5, 2026

Key Dates

Key Dates
In-person early voting opens at your county clerk or election commissioner's office	Monday, October 5
Registration deadline online (before midnight), by mail (postmark), or at the DMV	Friday, October 16
Last day to register in person, and to request an early ballot by mail (6 p.m.)	Friday, October 23
Election Day: polls open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central (7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mountain); early ballots must arrive by close of polls	Tuesday, November 3
Last day to show photo ID if you voted provisionally without one	Tuesday, November 10

How Voting Works in Nebraska

Register by October 16 online, by mail, or at the DMV, or in person at your county election office by 6 p.m. on October 23.

Any registered voter can vote early by mail; no reason needed. Request a ballot by 6 p.m. on October 23, and get it back to your county election office or a drop box by the time polls close on Election Day; a postmark isn't enough. Some rural counties mail every voter a ballot.

You can also vote early in person at your county election office starting October 5, or at your polling place on Election Day, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central (7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mountain).

Nebraska requires photo ID to vote. If you don't have it at the polls, you can vote a provisional ballot and show ID to your county election office by November 10. Find your polling place and sample ballot at votercheck.necvr.ne.gov.

Sources & Further Reading

…

Nebraska's 2026 Midterm Election: Who and What Is on Your Ballot

Key dates and how voting works are right below. Use the buttons above to open each race. Facts first; the decision is yours.

Checked against official sources on October 5, 2026

Key Dates

In-person early voting opens at your county clerk or election commissioner's office

Monday, October 5

Registration deadline online (before midnight), by mail (postmark), or at the DMV

Friday, October 16

Last day to register in person, and to request an early ballot by mail (6 p.m.)

Friday, October 23

Election Day: polls open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central (7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mountain); early ballots must arrive by close of polls

Tuesday, November 3

Last day to show photo ID if you voted provisionally without one

Tuesday, November 10

How Voting Works in Nebraska

Register by October 16 online, by mail, or at the DMV, or in person at your county election office by 6 p.m. on October 23.

You can also vote early in person at your county election office starting October 5, or at your polling place on Election Day, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central (7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mountain).

Nebraska's 2026 Midterm Election: Who and What Is on Your Ballot

Key Dates

How Voting Works in Nebraska

📚 Sources & Further Reading

Nebraska's 2026 Midterm Election: Who and What Is on Your Ballot

Key Dates

How Voting Works in Nebraska

📚 Sources & Further Reading

Sources & Further Reading

Sources & Further Reading