With the tension of the election finally over, many Americans have felt a weight lifted off their chest. Some are feeling hopeful for the future and many are devastated. The United States saw a record turn out in voters with more than 930,000 people voting in Nebraska alone. All the votes have been counted and the new elects are preparing to take on their duties.

           With a drawn out process and fairly close race, it seems that Joe Biden is on track to become the next president of the United States. With 306 electoral votes, Biden won states that were key in winning the presidency like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan; all states that Donald Trump won in 2016.

          The presidency wasn’t the only thing that Nebraska voted for. They also voted for the state legislature, congress, the school board and many other issues. In particular, they voted on issues surrounding gambling, slavery and cash advance places. Nebraskans voted to legalize gambling and make casinos legal, getting over 60% of the vote. They also voted to remove slavery as a punishment from the states constitution and to give payday loan businesses a max interest rate of 36%, previously the average interest rate for these places was 404%

         Each of Nebraska districts voted on the person that they wanted to represent them in congress. In all the districts a republican won against their democratic challengers. In District 1 Jeff Fortenberry won. Donald Bacon and Kara Eastman had a close race in District 2 with Bacon getting 50.8% of the votes. Despite Bacon, a republican, winning the district, they are the only district that voted for Joe Biden. In District 3 Adrian Smith won.

       Ben Sasse won reelection as senator against Chris Janicek. Sasse won roughly 67% of the total vote.

       Rita Sanders, former Bellevue mayor, and Susan Hester, a retired teacher of Bellevue Public Schools both ran to represent District 45 in the legislature. Sanders won. In a very close race, Carol Blood beat Rick Holdcroft to represent District 3 in the legislature.

       Thomas Burns, Paul Cook, Don Priester, and Jerry McCawall all won seats on the Bellevue city council. 

        Lisa Fricke and Jacquelyn Morrison, both democrats, also obtained seats on the Nebraska state Board of Education. Scott Eby and Kristy Hansen Kiviniemi both won seats on the Bellevue Public Schools Board of Education. Sarah Centineo won re-election for president of the Bellevue Public Schools board.