Nebraska Governor Decides Against Electoral Vote Change Favoring Trump, Reports Reuters

By Joseph Ax

Nebraska’s governor announced on Tuesday that he will not convene a special legislative session to discuss changing the state’s approach to awarding electoral votes ahead of the presidential election on November 5. This decision has concluded an initiative that was supported by Donald Trump and his Republican allies.

The governor’s announcement followed state Senator Mike McDonnell’s declaration that he would not back a switch to a winner-take-all system. This left the Republican supermajority in the state legislature one vote short of the necessary approval, as Democrats were entirely opposed to the change.

In a statement, Republican Governor Jim Pillen expressed his disappointment in McDonnell’s choice and confirmed he would not reconvene lawmakers before Election Day.

In the United States, unlike many other nations, the president is not elected through a national popular vote. Instead, electoral votes are allocated proportionally based on each state’s population, awarded to the winner within that state.

Nebraska and Maine are the only states that distribute electoral votes partly based on congressional districts. In the 2020 election, Democrat Joe Biden secured one of Nebraska’s five electoral votes from an Omaha-based district, while Trump gained one of Maine’s four votes.

As Trump, the Republican candidate, and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, are engaged in a closely contested race, every electoral vote will be crucial in November. In various scenarios, Nebraska’s Omaha-based electoral vote could be pivotal in determining whether Harris or Trump emerges victorious.