Official announcements from the Nebraska Governor's office

Nebraska GOP Effort to Change Electoral Vote Allocation Fails as Mike McDonnell Opposes 43 Days Before Election

Sep 23, 2024, 07:22 PM

With just over a month until the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election, a significant effort by Republicans to change Nebraska's electoral vote allocation system has been thwarted. The proposed change, supported by former President Donald Trump and Senator Lindsey Graham, aimed to switch Nebraska from its current system of awarding electoral votes by congressional district to a winner-take-all system. This change could have potentially secured an additional electoral vote for Trump. However, State Senator Mike McDonnell, a key Republican lawmaker, announced his opposition to the change, citing the proximity to Election Day as a reason. McDonnell's decision, which he stated 43 days before the election, effectively kills the proposal, maintaining the current system and keeping the possibility open for Vice President Kamala Harris to win an electoral vote from Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District. Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen also supported the proposed change. Senator Lindsey Graham had earlier estimated the chances of the change being implemented as '50/50'.