Scott Petersen Calls on Secretary of State Bob Evnen to Conduct a Full Hand Count of Ballots in the Secretary of State Race

Lincoln, NE – While Secretary of State Bob Evnen tours to observe pre-election Logic and Accuracy testing of voting machines, Scott Petersen, candidate for Nebraska Secretary of State, today called on the incumbent to authorize a complete manual hand count of ballots cast in the 2026 Secretary of State race.

“Pre-election machine testing is required by law and important, but real transparency means verifying the actual votes after they are cast,” said Petersen. “Nebraskans deserve to know, without question, that every vote in this race for the state’s chief election officer was counted accurately. I am committed to full transparency. Secretary Evnen should have no hesitation in proving the results with a backup hand count of this race.”

As election security experts have noted, while L&A testing confirms machines perform correctly on known test ballots, it does not verify how actual voter ballots were tabulated on election day. Nebraska uses hand-marked paper ballots statewide precisely so officials and observers can manually verify results when needed. State law does not prohibit a manual hand count. In fact, Nebraska already performs hand counts after every statewide election as part of its official post-election audits, randomly selecting precincts and hand-counting key races to compare against machine tabulations.

Petersen continued: “Secretary Evnen’s office has defended the current system and resisted calls for broader hand-count verification. While practical concerns about time and cost for counting every race statewide are often raised, no statute prevents a targeted hand count specifically for the Secretary of State contest. If the incumbent truly supports transparency, now is the time to demonstrate it by hand-counting the ballots in his own race.”

This call comes as voters express growing demand for stronger verification. A 2026 citizen initiative seeks to require hand counting of all ballots, highlighting the public’s desire for methods that go beyond machine tabulation and limited sample audits.

“As Secretary of State, I will prioritize openness and trust,” Petersen stated. “That starts right now. Let’s hand count the ballots in this race, invite observers from all parties, and show Nebraskans exactly how their votes were tallied. Transparency is not optional. It is the foundation of fair elections.”

Petersen urged county election officials to support this effort and stands ready to work with them on a secure, observable hand count while maintaining strict chain-of-custody protocols.