Nebraska governor calls for legislature to reinstate ‘winner-take-all’ electoral system

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) endorsed switching the state to a “winner-take-all” system for Electoral College votes on Tuesday, a change that would bring the state in line with the rest of the country and could tip the 2024 election.

Only Nebraska and Maine assign Electoral College votes by district. In most elections, Republicans take two and Democrats take one of the state’s votes, though the third is tightly contested.

State legislators introduced a measure to implement the winner-take-all system in January, which Pillen endorsed.

“It would bring Nebraska into line with 48 of our fellow states, better reflect the founders’ intent, and ensure our state speaks with one unified voice in presidential elections,” Pillen said of the bill. “I call upon fellow Republicans in the Legislature to pass this bill to my desk so I can sign it into law.”

The Nebraska Freedom Coalition, a conservative activist group, lauded Pillen for the announcement, adding that the group believes it will be brought to the legislature floor for a vote “very soon.”

“Thank you Gov. Pillen!,” the group said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Per usual, it’s going to come down to securing some of those squishy R votes — let’s get it done!”

If the bill were to go into effect for the 2024 election, it could cost President Biden an Electoral College vote. Former President Trump won about 58 percent of the vote in Nebraska in 2020, meaning the GOP candidate would get the state’s entire slate of electoral votes in a winner-take-all system.