Last Wednesday was a very busy day at the Capitol in Lincoln. Every State Senator’s phone and email lit up with messages concerning LB 764, a bill commonly referred to as the “Winner Take All” bill. Nebraska is one of only two states which splits its electoral college votes during a presidential election. Current Nebraska State law allows voters to choose one presidential elector for each of Nebraska’s three congressional districts and for two additional presidential electors to be chosen at large. Sen. Loren Lippincott’s bill, LB 764, would change it so that the presidential candidate receiving the most votes statewide would receive all five presidential electors in the electoral college.
With only six legislative days remaining in the 2024 legislative session, former President Donald Trump decided to try to change Nebraska’s election laws to favor a “Winner Take All” system. With help from Gov. Jim Pillen, U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, and conservative radio talk show host, Charlie Kirk, calls went out for constituents to contact their State Senators, asking them to advance LB 764.
There was just one problem: LB 764 was already dead.
