Nebraska republican opposes electoral vote change backed by Trump

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A Nebraska Republican has opposed former President Donald Trump’s plan to change how the state awards its electoral votes. Nebraska is one of two states, alongside Maine, that allocates its electoral college votes based on Congressional districts rather than the winner-take-all system used by most states. Trump and his allies had proposed shifting Nebraska to the winner-take-all method to secure all five of the state's electoral votes, rather than the expected four, as Omaha typically votes Democratic.

Republican state Senator Mike McDonnell released a statement on Monday, opposing any change to the electoral system for the upcoming election. His opposition is likely to halt the attempt, as Governor Jim Pillen had stated he would only pursue the change with unanimous support from all 33 Republican state senators.

“Elections should be an opportunity for all voters to be heard, no matter who they are, where they live, or what party they support,” McDonnell said, suggesting that any decision regarding the state’s electoral vote allocation should be made by the people of Nebraska through a constitutional amendment.

Nebraska Democrats have welcomed McDonnell’s stance, with party chair Jane Kleeb applauding his efforts to protect the state’s independent electoral system.