Trump’s Allies Try to Revive Push to Make Nebraska Winner-Take-All Electorally
In the wake of the 2020 presidential election, where Nebraska split its electoral votes for the first time in history, some of President Trump’s allies are attempting to revive a push to make the state’s electoral system winner-take-all.
Nebraska is one of two states, along with Maine, that does not adhere to the winner-take-all system for allocating electoral votes. Instead, the state awards one electoral vote to the winner of each congressional district, with the remaining two votes going to the overall statewide winner.
This system resulted in President Trump winning four out of the state’s five electoral votes in the 2020 election, with Democratic candidate Joe Biden securing one electoral vote from the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District. This marked the first time in history that Nebraska did not award all of its electoral votes to the same candidate.
Now, some of Trump’s allies are pushing for Nebraska to revert to a winner-take-all system, arguing that the current system is unfair and does not accurately represent the will of the state’s voters. They claim that the split electoral vote system disenfranchises voters in the state and can lead to a discrepancy between the popular vote and the electoral vote.
Supporters of the current system, however, argue that it allows for a more representative allocation of electoral votes and gives voters in all parts of the state a voice in the presidential election. They contend that a winner-take-all system would ignore the diversity of political views within the state and could lead to the disenfranchisement of minority voters.
The push to make Nebraska winner-take-all electorally is likely to face an uphill battle, as it would require a change to the state’s constitution. This would involve getting a proposed amendment approved by the state legislature and then approved by a majority of voters in a statewide referendum.
While it remains to be seen whether this push will gain traction, it is clear that the issue of electoral reform in Nebraska is a contentious one. As the debate continues, it will be important for stakeholders on all sides to consider the implications of any potential changes to the state’s electoral system and how they could impact the democratic process.