Nebraska voters soundly reject proposal to extend legislative term limits

Nebraska’s state senators will remain limited to two consecutive four-year terms after voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would have extended them.

Constitutional Amendment 1 was on track to be rejected at the ballot box as of 10 p.m. Tuesday night, with 69,100 yes votes against 290,202 no votes, according to unofficial results. The measure would have increased term limits in the state Legislature to a maximum of three consecutive terms instead of two.

Nebraskans implemented the current limits of two four-year terms for state senators via a voter-led initiative in 2000. It passed with 55.8% of the vote. Senators can sit out one term after being term-limited and run again.

The ballot measure came from Legislative Resolution 19CA, which state Sen. Rob Dover of Norfolk introduced in 2025. The resolution passed 39-10 in the Legislature, which put the proposal on the 2026 ballot.

Dover and other supporters of the amendment argued that eight years is too short for lawmakers to get a full grasp on how best to approach the job. Because Nebraska’s legislative sessions usually run 60-90 days each year, Dover said, eight years in office translates to about two-and-a-half years in session.

Several term-limited senators have noted that their last year in office is when they finally understand everything they need to do to accomplish their goals.

From the beginning, supporters of the amendment knew getting voter approval would be an uphill battle. Dover said last week that he believed the current political environment isn’t welcoming to ideas of increasing political term limits, and said he believes most Nebraska voters don’t fully understand all the benefits.

“You wouldn’t pick a young quarterback Husker … and just when they’re starting to make some plays, kick them out,” Dover said. “That’s exactly what’s going on.”

Dover said given the current president and the public mindset against career politicians, he believes Nebraska lawmakers have been lumped in with the negativity. He argued that most Nebraskans don’t realize that shorter term limits in the Legislature have drawbacks, as the group of people who understand the inner workings of the Legislature are in the minority among state voters.

Despite his pessimism at the measure’s chances at the ballot box, Dover said he doesn’t regret introducing the constitutional amendment. Even if it fails, he said the vote count will give lawmakers more information about how current voters feel about term limits.

“I did my job to make Nebraska a better place and give the people’s voice a better chance at not being limited,” Dover said.