Nebraska AG claims thousands of invalid signatures on marijuana ballot

On the last day for certifying initiatives for the November ballot, Nebraska's Republican Attorney General Mike Hilgers announced that supporters of two medical marijuana legalization measures may have submitted several thousand invalid signatures. This revelation came during a Zoom news conference where Hilgers, alongside a local prosecutor, detailed a felony charge against a petition circulator from Grand Island for fraudulent signatures on 38 pages related to the initiatives. Although the fraudulent activity was localized, Hilgers indicated that there were broader irregularities affecting many signatures. Hilgers faced scrutiny regarding the timing of his announcement, as it coincided with the deadline for the Secretary of State's office to certify the initiatives. Despite being opposed to the measures, Hilgers emphasized that all petitions would undergo similar scrutiny. He informed Secretary of State Bob Evnen about the findings, but Evnen would need to conduct his own analysis. Even if the initiatives are certified for the ballot, Hilgers warned that a court could later invalidate them or block the counting of votes. The Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana group had gathered over 114,000 signatures for each of the two petitions, surpassing the required 86,000 signatures needed to qualify. The ongoing investigation by Hilgers' office raises concerns about the integrity of the signature-gathering process and the potential impact on the future of medical marijuana legislation in Nebraska. The situation highlights the contentious nature of marijuana legalization efforts in the state, particularly among conservative lawmakers.