# Nebraska certifies primary results amid transition at elections office  
**Published:** 2026-06-08T21:26:30.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/08/nebraska-officials-certify-results-for-may-12-primary-election-that-ran-very-smoothly/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/nebraska-certifies-primary-results-amid-transition-at-elections-office

LINCOLN, Neb. — [Nebraska's top state officials finalized the May 12 primary election results Monday](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/08/nebraska-officials-certify-results-for-may-12-primary-election-that-ran-very-smoothly/), formally certifying the outcome of a race that upended the state's election leadership. The Nebraska Board of State Canvassers unanimously approved the election tally, capping a primary that state officials credited with running smoothly despite a contentious secretary of state race.

The certification came as Secretary of State Bob Evnen officially watched his eight-year tenure wind down. [Evnen lost his GOP primary reelection bid to Omaha businessman Scott Petersen](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/13/scott-petersen-wins-gop-primary-race-for-nebraska-secretary-of-state-against-incumbent-bob-evnen/), who campaigned on questions about election integrity. Evnen will leave office in January after presiding over one final election certification in December for the general election.

"Nebraskans really owe them a debt of gratitude," Evnen said of local election officials, referring to county clerks and commissioners who conducted the election. He called the May 12 election a demonstration that "Nebraska is and remains the gold standard for the conduct of elections."

[Deputy Secretary of State Wayne Bena said the election was "probably the smoothest election I've seen from start to finish" in his 16 years in election administration](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/13/scott-petersen-wins-gop-primary-race-for-nebraska-secretary-of-state-against-incumbent-bob-evnen/). He noted there were very few issues with ballots and proofing ahead of election day.

The election was marked by historically low turnout, with [just 27% participation statewide, down from 34% in 2022](https://www.nefb.org/news/2026-nebraska-primary-election-results). Evnen called on Nebraskans to increase engagement for the November general election.

Evnen's loss marked a significant upset. [Petersen defeated the incumbent by more than 16,500 votes despite Evnen having raised and spent more campaign money and receiving endorsements from Gov. Jim Pillen and Nebraska's entire congressional delegation](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/13/scott-petersen-wins-gop-primary-race-for-nebraska-secretary-of-state-against-incumbent-bob-evnen/).

Petersen has pledged to seek changes to how Nebraska conducts elections, [raising questions on the campaign trail about election integrity and ballot security](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/nebraska-secretary-state-loses-gop-primary-challenger-questioning-elec-rcna344905). Election experts say voter fraud is exceedingly rare and that Nebraska's election systems are secure.

The only significant issue reported during the primary was in Washington County, where election officials discovered a nonpartisan Learning Community Coordinating Council Subcouncil contest had been mistakenly included on all ballots instead of only four specific ballot types. Revised ballots were created for affected voters, and the error did not change any race outcomes.

Petersen will face Democrat Sarah Slattery of Plattsmouth, a school nutrition director, in the November general election. [Slattery said she wants to bring "neutrality back" to the office](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/13/scott-petersen-wins-gop-primary-race-for-nebraska-secretary-of-state-against-incumbent-bob-evnen/).

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/08/nebraska-officials-certify-results-for-may-12-primary-election-that-ran-very-smoothly/)
- [Nebraska Examiner - Scott Petersen wins GOP primary race for Nebraska secretary of state](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/13/scott-petersen-wins-gop-primary-race-for-nebraska-secretary-of-state-against-incumbent-bob-evnen/)
- [Nebraska Farm Bureau - 2026 Nebraska Primary Election Results](https://www.nefb.org/news/2026-nebraska-primary-election-results)
- [NBC News - Nebraska secretary of state loses GOP primary to challenger questioning election security](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/nebraska-secretary-state-loses-gop-primary-challenger-questioning-elec-rcna344905)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/08/nebraska-officials-certify-results-for-may-12-primary-election-that-ran-very-smoothly/.