Did you get your voting plan ready in August?
Participating in elections at all levels of government is important, and particularly so at the local and state levels. From your county commissioners and school boards to your State and Federal Congressional representatives, your vote determines who gets to decide critical issues about you and your community, and just as important, how much funding is allocated to the programs important to you.
One of the easiest websites to navigate is www.vote411.org for all things related to your specific ballot. Your county’s election website is also helpful, as is your State’s Secretary of State’s office website.
Don’t forget to register to vote if you haven’t. In Nebraska, you have until Friday, October 16, 2026, if you’re registering by mail or online. You have until Friday, October 23, 2026, if you’re doing it in person. In Iowa, you have until Monday, October 19, 2026, if you’re registering by mail or online. You have until Monday, November 2, 2026, if you’re doing it in person.
Don’t forget to vote. The Voting Plan found here might be helpful.
Federal Government Update
Federal Budget
The U.S. House and Senate are back in session. The two houses have already passed a Continuing Resolution (CR), which will hold the budget steady until December 11, 2026, and the President has signed it. This CR maintains funding for critical programs such as SNAP, WIC, TANF, National Flood Insurance, wildfire suppression, disaster relief, small business support, and livestock reporting programs. The measure ensures that federal agencies continue operating normally while Congress works on full-year FY27 appropriations.
Nebraska and Iowa
The election of a Governor is important in a state because the governor appoints government leaders who head agencies that provide services or funding to providers like Immanuel. The Director of Medicaid and Long-Term Care in Nebraska’s Department of Health & Human Services resigned in early August after only two years in the office. This position is very important to Immanuel in providing all the care residents and PACE® participants need. Iowa just replaced its head of Medicaid as well.
The elections of all the state senators who will convene in January are critically important. This group decides how much tax money the government will spend and the many laws that relate to important issues in your life.
Immanuel Advocacy Alliance (IAA)
The IAA is a small group of Immanuel leaders and community directors who meet regularly to discuss strategies to improve the laws and regulations governing all our services. Knowing our policymakers on an informal, nonpartisan basis is important work for all nonprofits. This is a list of all the candidates per community in Iowa and Nebraska. Please note that there is a lot going on with new political parties in Nebraska, and there may be more official candidates for governor soon. If you know any of the candidates on this list personally, we’d love to hear about it!
As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or comments.
Tara Muir, JD, Advocacy & Government Relations Coordinator | 402-829-2931 office | 402-871-4979 cell | tmuir@immanuel.com
Click here to read September's Immanuel Advocates newsletter.
Immanuel Advocacy Philosophy
We aim to highlight and advocate for seniors across Nebraska and Iowa, and when necessary, in the U.S. Congress. As a faith-based, nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation, we do not and cannot subscribe to the beliefs of one political party over another. When issues are critical to Immanuel, the people we serve, and our staff, we will advocate for what will benefit, not detriment.
Our goal with this monthly newsletter is to present the information objectively and unbiasedly. Some issues we focus on may fall further down one side of the traditional political spectrum than the other. In these times, many issues seem to become political that they never were before, such as access to food and housing.
Any call to action is completely voluntary and should not be viewed as an expectation relating to your role with Immanuel. All calls or efforts made should be done outside of your work hours, unless approved by your supervisor. As such, calls and efforts made outside of your working hours will not be compensated by Immanuel.
The Advocacy and Government Relations Coordinator is a member of the Legal and Compliance Team.
