Republicans Ramp Up Effort To Change Nebraska Electoral College Process

by Ava LombardiApril 8, 2024, 12:32 amDaily Digest, Home Featured, News, News Feed >

Former President Donald Trump and his allies are putting pressure on Nebraska lawmakers to change how the state divvies out electoral college votes in anticipation of the upcoming election.

Trump has proposed that Nebraska assume a winner-take-all allocation system instead of the current system in which electoral votes are split between statewide winners and winners of congressional districts.

Last week, conservative activist Charlie Kirk posted a message on social media urging Nebraska Republicans to support the effort. Republican Gov. Jim Pillen immediately agreed with the proposal, sparking a newfound interest among conservatives.

The former president took to Truth Social to discuss the change.

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“Governor Jim Pillen of Nebraska, a very smart and popular Governor, who has done some really great things, came out today with a very strong letter in support of returning Nebraska’s Electoral Votes to a Winner-Take-All System,” Trump wrote. “Most Nebraskans have wanted to go back to this system for a very long time, because it’s what 48 other States do — It’s what the Founders intended, and it’s right for Nebraska. Thank you Governor for your Bold leadership. Let’s hope the Senate does the right thing. Nebraskans, respectfully ask your Senators to support this Great Bill!”

State Sen. John Arch (R), the speaker of the Legislature, has remained opposed to the proposal, though it is unclear whether pressure from Pillen will change his mind.

“In the Nebraska Unicameral, we have a process,” Arch said in a statement on Wednesday. “It includes bill introduction, a committee hearing on every bill and the prioritization of the session’s agenda by the committees and individual members of the Legislature. LB 764 was not prioritized and remains in committee. I’m not able to schedule a bill that is still in committee.”

With only two days left in the session for new bills to be introduced, and state Sen. Loren Lippincott claimed there wouldn’t be enough votes for the proposal to pass.