Nebraska Republicans are pushing for a crucial change to the way the state allocates its Electoral College votes, advocating for a winner-takes-all system to avoid any uncertainty ahead of the November contest.
Both Nebraska senators and all three of the state’s House representatives penned a letter to Gov. Jim Pillen (R-NE) and Speaker of the legislature John Arch on Wednesday urging a return to “the status quo” of awarding all its electoral votes to a single presidential candidate. The letter comes as Pillen considers calling a special legislative session to vote on returning the state to a winner-takes-all system ahead of the presidential election.
“We need a President that will represent all of us, from Omaha to Scottsbluff and everywhere in-between,” the lawmakers wrote. “Senators and Governors are elected by the state as a whole because they represent all of the people of Nebraska equally, and the state should speak with a united voice in presidential elections as well.”
Pillens has said he would consider calling a special session to vote on changing how the state distributes its electoral votes if there is enough support among state lawmakers, but so far, that has not accumulated, he said.
“I and other conservatives have worked diligently to assess legislative support for WTA in a pre-election special session,” the governor wrote in a statement last week. “At this time, I have not yet received the concrete and public indication that 33 senators would vote for [winner-takes-all]. If that changes, I will enthusiastically call a special session.”
Other national Republicans, such as former President Donald Trump and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), have also called for a change, calling it crucial for the 2024 contest.
Nebraska operates under a congressional district method, meaning the state allocates two electoral votes to the candidate who wins the statewide popular vote, and then it awards one electoral vote to the popular vote winner in each congressional district. Nebraska has three congressional districts, creating four popular vote contests in the state, often leading to a split electoral outcome.
As a result, Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District holds one of the most coveted electoral votes in the country — and could determine the November election if it comes down to just one vote.
The district, which contains much of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, is considered a blue dot in an otherwise red state.
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The swing district has pivoted back and forth over the last decade, with former President Barack Obama winning in 2008 before Republican nominee Mitt Romney took it back in 2012. Trump then secured the district in 2016 before it swung back to Democrats in 2020.
Now, the single electoral vote could be what breaks a 269-269 tie in the Electoral College, a distinct possibility given the 2024 map, and both campaigns are pouring resources into the district to ensure a victory.