Bill Brennan is executive editor of The Independent. For the past several weeks, political advertisements, letters to the editor and newspaper endorsements have attempted to persuade voters to support certain candidates and issues in the Nebraska primary. Scott Moore, secretary of state, predicted that only 32 percent of registered voters will go to the polls today, making this one of the lightest elections ever. The reason is simple. The Nebraska primary now comes months after the presidential race has been decided by each party.
More people seem to vote when the presidential election is being decided.
There was a time, in the 1960s and 1970s, when the primary election in Nebraska was a critical time for presidential candidates. Ronald Reagan came to Nebraska to gain political support for the presidency. Both John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy campaigned hard in Nebraska, and each received a critical boost. Grand Island residents had the opportunity to see and hear the men they helped nominate for office. Now many states have moved their primaries to February and March, and the Nebraska primary is less important in national politics.