Nebraska Republicans hope 2025 is the year they finally push a controversial measure across the finish line — one that would change the state’s quirky Electoral College system, which currently dishes out separate votes for president/VP by congressional district.
Nebraska Senator Myron Dorn, District 30. November 14, 2022. Photo by Craig Chandler / University Communication.
Nebraska Senator Loren Lippincott, District 34. November 14, 2022. Photo by Craig Chandler / University Communication.
Two measures — Legislative Bill 3 and Legislative Resolution 24CA — advanced out of the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee on Monday. The former, introduced by Senator Loren Lippincott at the request of Governor Jim Pillen, would change Nebraska’s vote allocation to winner-take-all, which apportions all electoral college votes to the winner of the state’s popular vote. The ladder, introduced by Sen. Myron Dorn on his own accord, takes a more measured approach and would place the issue before voters on the Nov. 2026 general election ballot.
Nebraska has awarded individual electoral votes since 1992, thanks to a measure successfully spearheaded by former Lincoln State Sen. DiAnna Schimek. She argued the change would encourage presidential candidates to campaign in the state.
However, all five of Nebraska’s electoral votes (three allocated by congressional district and two awarded statewide) went to Republican candidates until 2008, when NE-02 delivered the state’s first Democratic electoral vote to Barack Obama. The district repeated this in 2020 for Joe Biden and again in 2024 for Kamala Harris. Supporters have dubbed NE-02 ‘The Blue Dot‘ — much to the chagrin of opponents.
A reflection of the state’s urban-rural divide, local republicans have railed at reverting the system since it’s inception. Pressure peaked in 2024, when a last-minute change would have netted President Donald Trump +1 vote. Lippincott also lead 2024’s legislative push for winner-take-all during, which did not succeed. In the end, the extra vote proved inconsequential, as Trump secured 312 Electoral College votes to Harris’s 226.
But with newfound moxie — and perhaps hope in a demoralized opposition — Republican lawmakers and Governor Jim Pillen are reviving the measure. Pillen thanked Committee Chair Sen. Rita Sanders for overseeing the advancement of winner-take-all to the floor for debate by the full Legislature, saying “this is great news for Nebraska.”
Sen. Rita Sanders – District 45. Chair of the Government, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee. (Courtesy: Nebraska Unicameral Information Office)
Dave Wordekemper, District 15. Legislature – 2025 Incoming Senators. November 20, 2024. Photo by Craig Chandler / University Communication.
Nebraska is home to the nation’s only technically non-partisan legislature, but the invisible hand of party politics still looms large in the the state’s one-house Unicameral. Republicans currently hold 5/8 seats on the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. It takes a majority vote to move a bill out of committee to full debate.
Still, it would be a mistake to overstate the influence of party politics in Nebraska. Sen. Dave Wordekemper of Fremont, a republican committee member who voted to push the bill forward, signaled to the Nebraska Examiner that his ‘yay’ vote should not be taken for granted.
Both proposals will need 33 votes to overcome a filibuster during full debate.
Republicans have exactly 33 presumed votes, making the effort ripe for a spoiler. Several republican senators reside over legislative districts located in NE-02, adding weight to their votes on the issue.
“Nebraska matters in the presidential elections because of our fair electoral vote system,” said Chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party Jane Kleeb in a statement. “The Republicans who want to take this away, all because of Trump, are so short-sighted. We have a competitive primary for both parties in 2028 and we should all want candidates asking for our votes. That will only happen if we keep the split electoral vote system. Nebraska is unique. Let’s not be like all the rest of the states. Let the other states follow our lead in true representative democracy. We urge Senators from all parties to vote no on the final version of the bills.”