Nebraska Republicans are facing pressure from a top ally of former President Donald Trump to alter the state's Electoral College voting system. Currently, Nebraska and Maine are the only states that divide their electoral votes by congressional district, with Nebraska having one competitive vote for Democrats due to its solid Republican stance.
Senator Lindsey Graham recently met with GOP lawmakers in Nebraska to advocate for this change, supported by the state's all-Republican congressional delegation and Governor Jim Pillen. The proposed switch, which was previously discussed but lacked sufficient votes, is now being pushed again as Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris are in a closely contested race.
The urgency behind this push stems from the possibility that the election could come down to Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District, a swing district in the Omaha area. In a scenario where Harris wins key battleground states and Trump secures others, Nebraska's 2nd District could hold the decisive electoral vote.
Nebraska Democrats have also shown support for the state's current electoral vote split, symbolized by blue dot yard signs in the Omaha district. However, Republicans in the state legislature remain divided on the issue, with the proposed change requiring a special session called by Governor Pillen and a minimum of 33 votes to pass.
Despite past efforts by Republicans to shift Nebraska to a winner-take-all system, the state has maintained its split electoral vote since Barack Obama's victory in 2008. The ongoing debate underscores the significance of each electoral vote in a closely contested presidential election.
