Will Nebraska switch to a winner-take-all system for presidential elections?

Will a vote next Tuesday change how Nebraska allocates its electoral college votes in

presidential elections and switch to a winner-take-all system? That's what lawmakers will

decide when they vote on LB3. Every four years during the presidential election, Nebraska splits

up its electoral votes. Two votes go to the candidate with the most votes in the state

while the remaining three go to the winners of Nebraska's three congressional districts

Come Tuesday, a system that's been in place since 1992 could change to the winner-take-all method, which is used by most states

Under this system, a candidate with the most votes wins all of the state's electoral votes

Winner-take-all systems can influence campaign strategies, including where candidates hold rallies and meet with voters

However, this approach can lead to scenarios where a presidential candidate wins the electoral vote without securing the popular vote

A recent example is the 2016 election, where President Donald Trump secured 304 electoral votes against Hillary Clinton's 227, even though Clinton won the popular vote by 2.9 million

This is the argument Civic Nebraska is presenting to the state legislature, urging lawmakers and the community to act and ensure the voices of thousands of Nebraskans aren't silenced

The organization centered around upholding democracy calls the bill a blatant power grab initiated by out interests Nebraskans have been clear that we want to keep the split vote and we can allow them to erase decades of Nebraska independent tradition

Part of that tradition can be found in Omaha, Nebraska's largest city, which many call the

blue dot during presidential races due to the strong presence of Democratic voters. For example

the second congressional district turned blue for Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and most recently

Kamala Harris. Each time a vote is lost to a Democratic candidate, it reignites the push

to abolish the Electoral College. Now the campaign is backed by Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen

who has made the bill one of his main priorities this legislative session

President Trump also urged lawmakers to make the switch during his 2024 campaign

Senator Lauren Lippincott, who introduced the bill on behalf of the governor

told Nebraska Public Media that he doesn't believe he has the votes to pass it

He needs 33 lawmakers to support it. Nebraska has a nonpartisan legislature, also known as a unicameral

This means a senator's political party or affiliation doesn't appear on the election ballot

The idea behind the unicameral system established in 1934 was to ensure senators focus on local interests rather than being influenced by national party lines

Nebraska and Maine are the only states not following a winner-take-all system

For Straight Arrow News, I'm Kaylee Carey. Find more fact-based, unbiased news right now on the Straight Arrow News mobile app