County of Custer

For immediate release:
April 29, 2026

Media contact:
Kelly I. Jacobsen
308-872-5701

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

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

The Custer County Clerk’s Office will conduct its mock election on May 6 at 10:00 at the Custer County Clerk’s Office.

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 Custer 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. The clerk and Staff 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@custercountyne.gov ahead of time by 5:00 p.m. on May 1, 2026, so we can ensure we have enough space for everyone.