Staff Reports
In a sneaky bid to change the way Nebraska doles out its electoral votes, Republican lawmakers said, “No way, José!” to the attempted system shake-up on Wednesday night. The Nebraska state Senate gave a big thumbs down to the proposal in a lopsided vote of 36-9, sending a clear message to those trying to mess with the Cornhusker State’s tried-and-true process.
Currently, Nebraska has an electoral system as unique as a purple cow. It divvies up its electoral votes based on the popular vote in each congressional district, with a couple of at-large electors thrown in to reflect the state’s overall popular vote. This sets the state apart from the crowd, standing shoulder to shoulder with Maine as the only oddballs using this funky method.
But some troublemaking folks, like Republican state Sen. Loren Lippincott, thought it would be a hoot to change things up. He tried to slip in an amendment to switch to a winner-take-all system, likely thinking it would give a leg up to the red team. But the Senate wasn’t having any of it, shutting him down faster than you can say “corn on the cob.”
Talk about a wild west showdown! State Sen. Julie Slama, the bold voice behind the amendment, just wanted to get all her fellow senators on record about the matter. She said, “Listen up, folks! We’re gonna have ourselves a good ol’ fashioned vote on this here proposal. Whether it flies or flops, everyone’s gonna have their name on this rodeo ride!”
And wouldn’t ya know it, Governor Jim Pillen jumped in with a hearty “yeehaw” of his own, voicing his support for the system switcheroo. The stage was set for an electoral hoedown, but the Nebraska Senate lassoed the proposal and wrangled it to the ground.
At the end of the day, this whole hullabaloo is all because Nebraska split its electoral votes a couple of times, and some folks think it’s high time to lock in those votes for the red team. But changing the game now would likely throw a wrench in President Joe Biden’s plans and give former President Donald Trump a shiny new electoral vote in the next big election.
That’s right, folks! The stakes are high, and the clock is ticking. With the 2024 election revving up, any changes to Nebraska’s electoral system would have to happen quick as a hiccup. But for now, the status quo stands, and the Cornhusker State’s unique method for divvying up electoral votes remains intact, much to the frustration of those hoping to tip the scales in their favor.
