Republican efforts to secure all of Nebraska's electoral votes for former President Trump could be in jeopardy after lawmakers in the state refused to voice their support for an effort to change how the state's electoral votes are apportioned.
Nebraska Sen. Mike McDonnell, a former Democrat from Omaha who switched to the Republican Party this year, issued a statement Monday opposing allocating the state's five electoral votes on a winner-take-all basis, as 48 other states currently do.
Maine and Nebraska are the only two states that award two electoral votes to the candidate who wins statewide and one to the winner of each electoral district.
“An election should be an opportunity for every voter to express their voice, regardless of who they are, where they live or which party they support,” Governor McDonnell's statement read. “For decades, Nebraska has striven to live up to this ideal by apportioning our electoral votes to ensure that all Nebraskans have an equal say in choosing our president. For the city of Omaha that I love and have called home for 58 years, this will bring significant national attention, impact our local economy and force presidential candidates to speak to all Nebraskans rather than just jumping the gun and ignoring us.”
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FILE – Sen. Mike McDonnell, R-Omaha, Nebraska, is photographed on the Capitol grounds in Lincoln, Nebraska, March 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Nati Hulnick, File)
The senator went on to say that discussions have been taking place over the past few weeks about whether to change the way the electoral votes are apportioned.
McDonnell said that while he respects the wishes of some of his colleagues on this issue, he has taken the time to listen to constituents and national leaders on both sides of the issue.
“After careful consideration, it is clear that with 43 days until Election Day, now is not the time to make this change,” he wrote. “I have notified Governor Pillen that I will not change my longstanding position and will oppose any attempt to change the Electoral College prior to the 2024 election.”
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McDonnell also said he encouraged the governor, and will encourage his colleagues, to pass an amendment next year that would give Nebraskans the opportunity to decide how their electoral votes are allocated.
“This November, Nebraskans will have the opportunity to choose candidates at every level who reflect their views, including on this issue,” McDonnell wrote. “That's how it should be: Nebraska voters, not politicians of either party, should have the final say in choosing our president.”
The senators' decision means Republicans will not have the two-thirds majority they need to enact reform in Nebraska before the Nov. 5 election.
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The Nebraska senator said he would oppose any change to the electoral votes that would allow Republicans to confirm all five votes for Trump. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Nebraska is one of nine states that have had a Republican candidate win every presidential election since 1964. The state hasn't had a winner-take-all rule since 1991, and Republican candidates have almost always won the state's votes since then.
But President Biden won Omaha's 2nd Congressional District vote in 2020. Former President Obama did the same in 2008.
To win the presidency, a candidate must receive 270 of the 538 electoral votes.
In one scenario, Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris wins the battleground states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, while Trump wins the remaining four battleground states of North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada. In that scenario, Harris would win 269 electoral votes and Trump would win 268, including Nebraska's four electoral votes.
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In this scenario, a Trump victory in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District would result in a 269-269 tie vote, with the final decision going to the U.S. House of Representatives, where each state would be awarded one vote, likely tipping the balance in Trump's favor. But if Harris wins the district, she would become president.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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