Constitutional Amendment 1: Legislative Term Limits (LR 19CA)
Statewide — all of Nebraska
General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
- The Legislature referred this amendment as Legislative Resolution 19CA, introduced by Sen. Rob Dover of Norfolk with 22 other senators. Senators approved it 39-10 on final reading on May 28, 2025, according to the Legislature's bill history. The resolution provides that it is submitted to voters at the November 2026 general election. Voters rejected an identical proposal in 2012, when it received 35.4% support.[1][2][3]
- Nebraska's current term limits of two consecutive four-year terms were adopted by citizen initiative in 2000 with 55.8% of the vote.[2]
The question on the ballot
A constitutional amendment to change the limit on legislative terms from two consecutive terms to three consecutive terms. For. Against.[1]
LR 19CA amends Article III, section 12 of the Nebraska Constitution. A legislator would become ineligible to serve for four years after three (rather than two) consecutive terms, regardless of the district represented. Service before Jan. 1, 2001 would not count, and service for more than one-half of a term counts as a term.[1]
A YES vote means
A yes (For) vote changes the Nebraska Constitution so that members of the Legislature may serve three consecutive four-year terms before having to sit out four years.
A NO vote means
A no (Against) vote leaves the limit at two consecutive terms.
The law today
Article III, section 12 of the Nebraska Constitution bars a person from serving as a senator for four years after two consecutive terms, regardless of district. Voters adopted the limits by initiative in 2000 (55.8% of the vote). A term counts if it lasts more than two years, and a termed-out senator can sit out and run again. A 2012 measure to extend the limit failed with 35.4% support.[1][2]
Arguments made for
- Sen. Rob Dover of Norfolk, the sponsor, said in a statement that in all other states “there are two chambers, so that when a representative is termed out, they go to the other chamber and serve, taking their eight years of experience with them to continue to serve their state.”[2]
Arguments made against
- None found in public sources.
On record in support
- Sen. Rob Dover of Norfolk, sponsor of LR 19CA.[2]
- Speaker John Arch of La Vista said the current two-term limit creates challenges and that new senators need the perspective of experienced members.[4]
- Civic Nebraska, listed by the Nebraska Examiner among supporters of LR 19CA.[2]
- Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry, listed by the Nebraska Examiner among supporters.[2]
- Nebraska Farm Bureau, listed by the Nebraska Examiner among supporters.[2]
- League of Nebraska Municipalities, listed by the Nebraska Examiner among supporters.[2]
On record in opposition
- None found in public sources.
Research notes & limits
No published argument against the amendment was found. The Secretary of State's official pamphlet covers only the initiative measures, not legislative referrals, and neither the Examiner nor Legislature documents quote an opponent of the 2026 measure, so the against side is empty rather than paraphrased. The only supporter quote is a prior statement by the sponsor reported by the Nebraska Examiner. The Examiner lists supporters including Civic Nebraska, Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Nebraska Farm Bureau. The ballot wording is from the resolution's final-reading text; the Secretary of State's approved-ballot-statement file was an image-only PDF and could not be read, so the wording printed on the ballot was not independently confirmed. Fiscal impact not stated in the sources reviewed. Re-searched for opposition: only floor amendments by Sen. Loren Lippincott (to add a lifetime cap or a longer wait) were found, which are not statements against the measure, so no opposition is listed. No fiscal note or campaign committee was found.
Sources · 4
Researched 2026-10-19. Green citations are official government records.
- 1.Legislative Resolution 19CA, Final Reading text · Nebraska Legislature Official record
- 2.Nebraskans to decide in 2026 whether to allow three four-year terms in Legislature · Nebraska Examiner · 2025-05-28 News report
- 3.LR19CA: Constitutional amendment to change legislative term limits to three consecutive terms (bill history) · Nebraska Legislature · 2026-10-19 Official record
- 4.Potential third term for legislators clears first round · Unicameral Update, Nebraska Legislature · 2025-04-25 Official record