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By James Bickerton
News Reporter
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Nebraska Republican state Senator Loren Lippincott has introduced legislation that would switch the state to a winner-takes-all system for its Electoral College votes during presidential elections, as in almost all other states in the union.
Newsweek reached out to Lippincott via Facebook for comment on Friday outside of regular office hours.
Why It Matters
Currently, Nebraska is divided for presidential elections between its three congressional districts. One Electoral College vote goes to whichever candidate wins each district, with another two going to the overall state winner, for a total of five.
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Changing to a winner-takes-all system would likely benefit the GOP, which consistently wins presidential elections in Nebraska statewide but has lost one of the three districts in the last two contests.
What To Know
Lippincott introduced his proposal, Legislative Bill 3, at the beginning of this year. It would award all five of Nebraska's Electoral College votes to the overall state winner if passed.
In both the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections, the Democratic candidates, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, respectively, won Nebraska's second congressional district, which includes the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area.
This gave them both one of Nebraska's five Electoral College votes, despite their overall losses to Donald Trump of 39 percent to 58 percent and 38 percent to 59 percent, respectively.
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According to the most recent voter registration statistics, registered Republicans outnumbered registered Democrats in Nebraska by nearly two to one on January 1.
Lippincott's legislation will be discussed next week during an executive session of the Senate Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, according to the Omaha World-Herald.
The proposal has been endorsed by President Trump, who backed a bid to transition Nebraska to a winner-takes-all Electoral College system for presidential elections before the 2024 contest. However, this failed due to opposition from Democrats and Republican state Senator Mike McDonnell.
Maine is the only other state to divide itself up for Electoral College votes, and consequently, in 2024, Trump was able to win one out of four of its votes despite losing overall. Maine Public Radio reports that Democrats in the state are threatening that if Nebraska moves to a winner-takes-all system, so will they, in a move that could benefit the party.
What People Are Saying
Nebraska state Senator Loren Lippincott, in an email sent to supporters on Thursday: "The President's Number One priority here in Nebraska is passing LB3, which would restore Winner Take All and unify and strengthen Nebraska's voice in presidential elections."
Lippincott told the Nebraska Examiner in January that his proposal would give farmers a "voice." Over 90 percent of the state's land is occupied by farms and ranches. He commented: "We do not want to be drowned out by population centers. This is America. America for the most part is an agricultural country."
State Senator Dunixi Guereca, a Democrat representing Omaha, argued that Lippincott's proposal would be "silencing a set of voices," adding that the state does "things our way."
What Happens Next
If Lippincott's bill is passed into law it would give Republicans a good chance of picking up all five of Nebraska's Electoral College votes in 2028. However if Democratic dominated Maine makes a similar move the two could cancel each other out.
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