Despite Trump push, Nebraska will not be winner-take-all for 2024 election

Sep 24

Craig Nigrelli Reporter

By Craig Nigrelli (Reporter), Brock Koller (Executive Producer), Zachary Hill (Editor)

Nebraska will remain a state that splits its Electoral College votes in the upcoming presidential election. An effort to change that system to a winner-take-all, appears to have failed in the state Legislature.

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State Sen. Mike McDonnell, R-Omaha, released a statement saying he opposed the move within two months of the election and that now is not the right time to make such as change. Instead, McDonnell urged Nebraska’s governor and Legislature to propose an amendment to the state constitution next year, which would give voters the final say on how their electoral votes are split.

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McDonnell’s move is significant because, at the urging of former President Donald Trump, Republican leaders in Nebraska have been trying to change the way the state awards its five electoral college votes.

Right now, Nebraska awards two to the winner of the popular vote and the other three are divided based on the results in each congressional district. However, Republicans would have to muster up a two-thirds majority in the Legislature, in a special session, to change the state law and the Electoral College system within months of the election.

With polls showing the presidential race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris extremely close, pundits are running various scenarios of what would happen if one candidate winds up winning 269 electoral votes and the other 268, with Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District hanging in the balance.

In that case, CD-2, as it is commonly referred to, could either determine who gets to the magic number of 270 and become president-elect or leave the Electoral College in a 269-to-269 tie. In that case, the final decision would go to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Tags: Donald Trump, Electoral College, Nebraska

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

NEBRASKA WILL REMAIN ONE OF TWO STATES THAT SPLITS ITS ELECTORAL VOTES IN THE UPCOMING ELECTION AFTER AN EFFORT TO CHANGE THE STATE TO A WINNER-TAKE-ALL, CAME UP SHORT.

REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR MIKE MCDONNELL OF OMAHA, RELEASED A STATEMENT MONDAY SAYING HE OPPOSES THE MOVE QUOTE “ AFTER DEEP CONSIDERATION, IT IS CLEAR TO ME THAT RIGHT NOW, 43 DAYS FROM ELECTION DAY, IS NOT THE MOMENT TO MAKE THIS CHANGE”.

INSTEAD, MCDONNELL IS URGING THE GOVERNOR AND NEBRASKA STATE LEGISLATURE TO PROPOSE AN AMENDMENT TO THE STATE CONSTITUTION NEXT YEAR SO THAT VOTERS HAVE THE FINAL SAY.

IN RECENT WEEKS, AT THE URGING OF REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICANS LEADERS IN NEBRASKA HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GAIN MOMENTUM TO CHANGE THE WAY THE STATE AWARDS ITS FIVE ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES **BEFORE** THE NOVEMBER ELECTION.

RIGHT NOW, IT AWARDS TWO TO THE POPULAR VOTE WINNER AND THE OTHER THREE ARE DIVIDED AMONG CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS.

HOWEVER, REPUBLICANS WOULD HAVE TO GARNER A TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY IN THE LEGISLATURE, IN A SPECIAL SESSION, TO CHANGE THE STATE LAW AT THIS LATE DATE.

MCDONNELL’S OPPOSITION MEANS REPUBLICANS HAVE COME UP SHORT OF THAT MAJORITY.

WITH POLLS SHOWING THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE BETWEEN DONALD TRUMP AND VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS EXTREMELY CLOSE,, PUNDITS ARE RUNNING VARIOUS SCENARIOS OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF ONE CANDIDATE WINDS UP WINNING 269 ELECTORAL VOTES; AND THE OTHER WITH 268… WITH NEBRASKA CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT TWO, HANGING IN THE BALANCE.

IN THAT CASE, DISTRICT TWO COULD EITHER DETERMINE WHO GETS TO THE MAGIC NUMBER OF 270 AND BECOMES PRESIDENT-ELECT OR LEAVE THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE IN A 269-TO-269 TIE. IN THAT CASE, THE FINAL DECISION WOULD WIND-UP IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

IT’S WORTH NOTING THAT CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT TWO IN RED STATE NEBRASKA HAS BEEN HOTLY CONTESTED IN RECENT YEARS WITH DEMOCRATS PUSHING HARD TO ** TURN IT BLUE **. IN FACT, BARACK OBAMA WON DISTRICT TWO IN 2008 AND JOE BIDEN WON IT 2020. I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI, FOR MORE UNBIASED UPDATES, DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP.