Former President Donald Trump and his allies are pushing for Nebraska lawmakers to change the state’s method of allocating electoral college votes in order to move to a winner-take-all system. This effort has gained momentum due to concerns over the narrow margin in the race for 270 electoral votes in the upcoming rematch with President Joe Biden. Conservative activist Charlie Kirk and Republican Governor Jim Pillen have voiced their support for the change, with Trump also expressing his backing for the proposal. The focus on this issue has brought national attention to Nebraska’s electoral vote allocation system.
The current system in Nebraska divides electoral votes between statewide winners and winners of congressional districts, but there is a push to switch to a winner-take-all system similar to that of most other states. The sudden push for this change caught Nebraska Republicans off guard and has raised questions about whether pressure from Trump’s allies can influence the state legislature to make the switch. However, the speaker of the Legislature, Sen. John Arch, has indicated that the proposal was not prioritized for discussion this year and is unlikely to be taken up before the end of the legislative session.
Nebraska and Maine are the only two states that divide their electoral votes by congressional district, which resulted in Biden winning one vote from Nebraska in 2020. Efforts to change Nebraska’s system have been met with resistance in the past, and the current proposal was stalled in committee due to lack of support. Despite the last-minute push by Trump’s allies, it remains to be seen whether the legislation can gain the necessary traction to make a significant change to the state’s electoral vote allocation system.
With only two days left in the legislative session for new bills to be introduced, the future of the proposal to change Nebraska’s electoral vote allocation system is uncertain. State Sen. Loren Lippincott, the sponsor of the proposal, has acknowledged that the necessary votes may not be there for the bill to pass. Previous attempts by Republicans to repeal the current system have failed, and the issue has not been a priority until Trump’s allies began pushing for the change in recent weeks.
In light of the potential impact of Nebraska’s electoral vote in a close election, both Republicans and Democrats are closely watching the developments surrounding the proposed change to the state’s electoral vote allocation system. While there is a sense of urgency around the issue due to the upcoming election rematch between Trump and Biden, the legislative process in Nebraska’s unicameral legislature presents challenges to passing significant legislation at the last minute. It remains to be seen whether the pressure from Trump’s allies and supporters will be enough to sway lawmakers to make a change to the state’s electoral college system.
