Former President Donald Trump is continuing to gain momentum as we draw closer to election season. On Tuesday Trump received encouraging news from Nebraska in what could be a potential election-winning bill for 2024.
The bill in question, LB 764, introduced by Senator Loren Lippincott (R-NE), aims to shift Nebraska back to a winner-take-all system for allocating its electoral votes, a departure from its current method that creates division by congressional district. Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen made it clear how dedicated he is to reinstating the winner-take-all (WTA) system, a move that could benefit Trump in November.
“I am steadfast in my commitment to get winner-take-all over the finish line, thereby honoring our constitutional founding, unifying our state, and ending the three-decades-old mistake of allocating Nebraska’s electoral votes differently than all but one other state,” Governor Pillen wrote. The system which has been in place for three decades, allows for a split in electoral votes based on congressional district outcomes—a rarity in the United States, with only Maine sharing a similar approach.
Despite Nebraska’s Republican-leaning tendencies, the state’s system has enabled Democrat candidates to win an electoral vote from the Omaha district, as seen with Barack Obama in 2008 and Joe Biden in 2020.
However, the Governor also acknowledged a temporary setback, noting that the WTA bill, officially known as LB 764 and championed by Senator Lippincott, cannot pass during the regular legislative session due to insufficient support. Despite this, Pillen remains optimistic about the bill’s prospects in a special legislative session, where he believes it will garner the necessary backing.
“I will sign WTA into law the moment the Legislature gets it to my desk,” Pillen assured, signaling his readiness to enact the change as soon as possible.
The WTA bill seeks to align Nebraska with the electoral practices of 48 other states, where the presidential candidate who wins the majority of the popular vote in the state secures all of its electoral votes. Proponents argue that this method better reflects the founding fathers’ intentions and ensures that the state presents a unified stance in presidential elections.
By consolidating all of Nebraska’s electoral votes for the statewide winner, the GOP stands to gain an advantage in closely contested national elections, potentially swinging crucial electoral votes in their favor. If Trump secures victories in Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada, as current polls suggest, he would still fall short of winning the presidency by one electoral vote. The scenario shows the unique electoral approach of Nebraska, one of the few states that allocate electoral votes by congressional district rather than employing a winner-take-all system.
The state’s method contrasts sharply with that of traditionally Democratic states like California and New York, which use winner-take-all systems. Advocates for changing Nebraska’s system argue that it should align more closely with the preferences of the majority of its residents. If successful, this initiative could reshape the strategic calculations of presidential campaigns, making Nebraska an even more pivotal battleground in the quest for the White House.
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