This is our main page for the Referendum Petition Drive organized as a result of the Lincoln City Council’s vote approving a new ordinance which creates a new protected class, based on sexual preference or gender identity, against discrimination or bias.
Please check back during the petition circulating period! We’ll add updates as we can!
The Referendum Petition seeks to gather the number of signatures required by law to require the City of Lincoln to put the matter of the ordinance on the ballot so that Lincolnites may vote for or against an amendment to the City’s Charter.
Included here (click to jump to the section):
TO READ ABOUT HOW THE PROCESS BY WHICH THIS ORDINANCE WAS PASSED VIOLATED STATE LAW, PLEASE CLICK *HERE*
DOWNLOADABLE / PRINTABLE DOCUMENTS:
~ Click the *images* to direct download, click Scribd link to view only ~
GUIDELINES FOR PETITION CIRCULATORS
**Do NOT print out or attempt to circulate petitions without first printing out and reading this! It’s very important that you follow the guidelines — you want the signatures you gather to be valid!**
Click to download and print
CLICK >>> HERE for view only or to print if you have a Scribd account
REFERENDUM PETITION FORMS
~ Click the images to direct download, click Scribd link if you have an account or to view only ~
PETITION FORM PAGE ONE
Click to download and print
Scribd link to view only or print if you have an account – HERE
PETITION FORM PAGE TWO
Click to download
Scribd link to view only or print if you have an account – HERE
HELPFUL TOOLS / RESOURCES:
If someone is not sure whether they are a registered voter within the City of Lincoln, this can be confirmed by:
- EASY! (If internet connection is available) State of Nebraska VoterCheck on the Nebraska Secretary of State’s website – only basic information is required to locate the voter’s record (see the image below for an example of a record for a qualifying voter)
- Each voter receives a registration confirmation postcard several weeks before a Primary Election. If the voter kept the card, they can confirm by looking there.
Example of a VoterCheck record for a registered voter within the City of Lincoln; note mentions of City of Lincoln in several elements. Voter postcards noted in #2 will have the same information listed.
Click the image to visit VoterCheck
Frequently Asked Questions:
Note that there is additional information here – we’re adding new questions and answers as they arise.
Can a church participate in the petition drive?
Yes. This petition drive doesn’t endorse a candidate and is non-partisan. This petition simply asks that the ordinance go to a public vote. Therefore, churches and non-profits can collect signatures if they have petition circulators present the petition.
Can I sign the petition if I have not voted?
Yes. You must be a registered voter in the City of Lincoln, but it is not necessary to have voted.
Can I have an assistant help me collect signatures?
No. Allowing someone else to present the petition to signers will render all signatures invalid.
Do I have to support or oppose the ordinance to sign the petition?
No. The petition is simply about letting Lincoln voters decide the issue instead of the City Council.
What do I do if a signer makes a mistake when he or she is signing the form?
If a signer makes an error in signing the petition form (e.g., by misspelling a name or street address or by writing an incorrect birth date or house number), have the signer
- draw a line through the entire signature line on which the mistake occurred (much like you would void a check you’ve written in error);
- place his or her initials next to the entire signature line that has just been crossed out; and
- then sign and complete the petition information accurately on the line immediately below the one where the error occurred.
Can I collect signatures outside a store or shopping center?
If you want to collect signatures on the private property of any business, which includes the parking lot and the approach to the business’ doors as well as inside the business itself, you must first ask and secure the business’ permission to do so. Please politely accept NO for an answer, if that is the answer you receive in response. If you obtain permission to collect signatures at a business:
- DO NOT obstruct the entry to and exit from the business,
- DO NOT persist in efforts to obtain a signature from someone who is unwilling to engage in discussion with you and/or sign the petition
- DO NOT otherwise annoy, unnecessarily detain, or argue with customers or employees of the business
Handouts explaining the effects of the ordinance:
Click to download and print
Scribd link to view only or print if you have an account – HERE
Click to download and print
Scribd link to view only or print if you have an account – HERE
Click to download and print
Scribd link to view only or print if you have an account – HERE
Links to relevant laws, ordinances, statutes:
Ordinance Language – as introduced (see Amendment, below)
Attorney General Opinion regarding such ordinances
Home Rule Charter – Chapter 14 of Nebraska Statutes
Constitution of the State of Nebraska
“Traditional” media and new media reports regarding the ordinance with helpful and interesting information:
Lincoln Journal Star: Brief article listing history of a sexual orientation and gender identity ordinance and related legal opinions
Nebraska Watchdog: Voters should take note of comments made by their City Council representatives found in this article. “Lincoln passes gay rights ordinance; opponents vow referendum”
GROUPS ORGANIZING:
GiN is providing assistance and support however we can.
