***For Immediate Release***
August 24, 2018
Contact, Jeff Sheldon
Communications Director, Nebraska Appleseed
Office: (402) 438-8853
Mobile: (402) 840-7289
Email: jsheldon@neappleseed.org
Petition signature count certified to let Nebraskans vote on expanding Medicaid
Secretary of State confirms ballot measure received well more than enough signatures to qualify for November election
LINCOLN – Today, Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale confirmed the ballot petition measure to expand Medicaid earned well more than enough valid signatures to appear on the ballot for the November 6 election. If passed by Nebraska voters, Nebraska will join 33 other states and the District of Columbia that already have expanded Medicaid to help hard-working people with low incomes get health coverage.
Nebraska Appleseed Executive Director Becky Gould issued the following statement in response:
“The enthusiasm to expand Medicaid across the state was clear when petitions were collected from each of Nebraska’s 93 counties. Now it has been made official. More than 104,000 signatures were verified, qualifying 47 counties. Both marks were well over the threshold needed to qualify this for the ballot. Now, Nebraskans will be able to vote on expanding Medicaid in November to help 90,000 of our hard-working friends, neighbors, and coworkers get the health care they need.
“Today’s announcement would not be possible without the effort and dedication of volunteers and advocates all across the state who traveled highways, knocked on doors, and spoke with their fellow Nebraskans to gather the necessary signatures to qualify this measure for the ballot. In the coming months, we will continue educating voters and building this movement to finally expand Medicaid to create a stronger economy and a healthier future for every Nebraskan.”
# # #
Medicaid expansion is a must. Not only are there poor people on Medicaid there are elderly there are children there are veterans and there are simply two-income families trying to get by.