GRAND ISLAND, Nebraska (KSNB) – After a certification process, the Good Life District has passed a referendum.

The Hall County Election Commissioner announced this morning that the results of this election are official. The vote total is 5,049 for and 2,418 against, representing a voter turnout of almost 29%.

Hall County Election Commissioner Tracy Overstreet said certifying this election required a great deal of work.

“With a mail-in ballot, we go through all the envelopes to make sure everyone was considered for participation in that election,” Overstreet said. “So we go through the ballot backwards, forwards, sideways and diagonally to make sure all the numbers match up.”

This election was the first election conducted entirely by mail in Nebraska since voter ID was introduced. Overstreet said the new rules had some confusing aspects, particularly regarding the envelopes.

“We’ve seen a number of people not only write their driver’s license or state ID number on the envelope for returning their ballot, but they also made a copy of the driver’s license to put in the envelope. We don’t need that copy,” Overstreet said.

Overstreet noted that the election brought with it a learning curve.

“That’s something we’ll be educating people about going forward. I know Nebraska’s new voter ID law went into effect on April 1, 2024, so a lot of people are still getting familiar with the mechanics of that law,” Overstreet said.

The next step for the city is to vote on some ordinances, one of which is a program to formally approve the establishment of an economic development program.

Click here to subscribe to our daily KSNB Local4 newsletter and breaking news alerts sent directly to your email inbox.

All rights reserved.