Nebraska Voters Reject Expanded Senate Term Limits
Voters turned down an amendment that would have let state senators serve three consecutive four-year terms instead of two.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
Live Poll
Should state senators be allowed to serve more than two consecutive terms?
Nebraska voters rejected LR19CA, a constitutional amendment that would have allowed state senators to run for three consecutive four-year terms. With 47% of the vote counted, 80.7% of voters were against the measure, and the Associated Press called the race at 10:07 p.m.
Why it matters
The result keeps the current two-term limit for state senators in place and leaves Nebraska's existing term-limit framework, first approved by voters in 2000, unchanged. Sponsors had argued term limits weaken legislative expertise and shift power toward lobbyists and executive agencies.
With 47% of the vote counted, 80.7% of voters opposed the amendment, which had cleared the Nebraska Legislature 39-10 in May 2025. The final statewide margin had not been reported at the time of the count.
The players
Megan Hunt
Megan Hunt is a Nebraska state senator from Omaha who co-sponsored the amendment to extend senators' term limits.
Robert Dover
Robert Dover is a Nebraska state senator from Norfolk who co-sponsored the amendment to extend senators' term limits.
The details
The amendment, known as LR19CA, was sponsored by Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha and Sen. Robert Dover of Norfolk and would have changed the state constitution. Under current rules, senators may run again after sitting out a term, and the measure would have allowed three consecutive four-year terms.
Timeline
2000: Nebraska voters approved an eight-year legislative term limit.
February 2025: The term limit amendment was proposed.
May 2025: The Legislature passed the amendment 39-10.
November 3, 2026: Voters went to the polls on the amendment, and the AP called the race at 10:07 p.m. that night.
Political Context
The 2000 voter approval of an eight-year legislative term limit set the framework that LR19CA sought to loosen. Sponsors argued that term limits restrict legislative expertise and hand more influence to lobbyists and executive agencies.
Nebraska state senators remain limited to two consecutive four-year terms and must sit out a term before running again. The rejection means the existing rules govern senate campaigns in future elections.
The takeaway
Ballot measures on legislative term limits can reshape who holds power for years, and voters in Nebraska have now twice weighed in on the question. Following certified results will show the final margin.
Further reading
For more on how state ballot measures like this one are decided, see Elections coverage.
Live Poll
Should state senators be allowed to serve more than two consecutive terms?
