Nebraska activists look to give all five electoral votes to statewide victor
TAMPA, Fla. – Malia Shirley, director of the Nebraska Freedom Coalition, explained the effort that her organization is undertaking in order to deliver all of the state’s electoral votes to the statewide winner, which would likely be former President Donald Trump based on the prior several elections.
She expressed her support for the initiative during an interview with Florida’s Voice at the Florida Young Republican 2024 State Convention.
“Nebraska currently is one of two states that still splits our electoral college vote based on congressional districts,” she said. “Just Nebraska and Maine still do that currently.”
“We are trying to get through the legislature to pass a winner-take-all initiative so that whoever gets the most votes in the presidential election gets all five of our electoral votes,” she added.
The state grants two electoral votes to the popular vote winner, while it gives one vote to the winner of each of the three congressional districts.
Shirley explained that, based off of traditional election results, Republicans generally get four out of the five votes, winning the statewide popular vote, as well as the majority of support in all but one district encompassing Omaha.
She added that the effort in the legislature was initially stalled up, but thank to national attention by figures like Charlie Kirk, many state lawmakers and activists have began pressuring Gov. Jim Pillen and the legislature to sign the bill.
Shirley emphasized the importance of delivering every electoral vote possible for Trump.
The former president expressed his support for the initiative on social media and praised Pillen when he issued a statement urging the legislature to get the bill passed and send it to his desk.
“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 said on social media.
“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,” he added. “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!”
Trump won the state in 2020 with almost 59% of the vote. He previously won it in 2016 with 60%.
Nebraska’s unicameral legislature has a Republican supermajority of 33 lawmakers, out of 49.
