Butler County, Nebraska

For immediate release:
April 22, 2026

Media contact:
Lori L. Aschoff, Butler County Clerk

402.367.7430

Media and public invited to watch mock election ahead of May Primary Election

Media reporters and the public are invited to watch the Butler County Clerk’s Office’s mock election as we prepare for the May 12, 2026, Gubernatorial Primary Election.

The Butler County Clerk’s Office will conduct its mock election on April 29th at 10:00 a.m. at the Butler County Courthouse.

Every county election office in Nebraska is required by law to conduct a mock election before every statewide election. This is a great opportunity for reporters and the public to see firsthand how election reporting is conducted and how ballots are counted.

During the process, attendees will see county election officials run three independent tests of testing ballots in the county’s ballot-counting tabulator(s). The Butler County Clerk’s Office will then compare the tabulator’s results with the expected results to ensure each tabulator’s accuracy.

With the rise of election-related misinformation, we hope attendees will take this opportunity to learn more about the process and help educate our friends and neighbors. County Clerk Lori Aschoff will answer questions and help explain some common misconceptions and procedures, such as:

• Our ballot-counting machines do not have modems and cannot connect to the internet.
• Checks are done during pre-election testing, election night counting and post-election audits.
• Processes must be completed by at least two people from different political parties.

Interested attendees must RSVP to clerk@butlercountyne.gov ahead of time by 5:00 p.m. on April 27th, so we can ensure we have enough space for everyone.