Rep. Mike Flood (R–Neb.) has thrown his weight behind Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen’s latest push for a winner-takes-all electoral college system in the state.
In a letter posted to his X account on Wednesday, the congressman said, “As members of Nebraska’s federal delegation in congress, we are united in our support for apportioning all five of … Nebraska’s electoral votes in presidential elections according to the winner of the whole state.”
Flood’s letter included signatures from state Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts, and state Reps. Don Bacon and Adrian Smith, all Republicans.
Nebraska is one of only two states that split delegates for electoral college votes. The state awards five votes in total—two to the winner of the statewide popular vote, and then the other three votes are given to the winner of each of the three congressional districts. Nebraska’s electoral votes were previously winner-takes-all until the current system was implemented in 1992. Maine is the only other state to use congressional district voting for presidential elections.
In 2020, Donald Trump earned 4 electoral votes, while Joe Biden earned just 1 vote from the 2nd Congressional District in the eastern part of the state. In 2008, Barack Obama won one vote from the same district, which is the only other time the state had split votes.
The Nebraska Democrats, while outnumbered, are poised to put up a fight to split the electoral vote four to one this year.
In an email to NTD News, Jose Flores Jr, communications director for the Nebraska Democratic Party, said “Nebraskans’ rights and fundamental freedoms are on the line this November, and we aren’t taking a single vote for granted to build a broad coalition of Democrats, Independents and Republicans to win NE-02 again this November.”
After slowing down in recent months, the movement to change the electoral system picked up steam again last week after Gov. Pillen released a statement declaring his support for the move.
“As I have consistently made clear, I strongly support statewide unity and joining 48 other states by awarding all five of our electoral college votes to the presidential candidate who wins the majority of Nebraskans’ votes.”
Because the Nebraska legislative session is only scheduled for 60 working days in even-numbered years, a special session would have to be called in order to push through last-minute legislation. Pillen said in the same statement that he is “willing to convene the Legislature for a special session to fix this 30-year-old problem before the 2024 election.”
With Election Day less than seven weeks away and early ballots being sent out statewide from Sept. 30, Nebraska Republicans will be under pressure to act, and act quickly.
Flood is optimistic that his state can make this happen.
“With a Republican supermajority in the Nebraska Legislature, this can get done,” he told NTD news. “The Nebraska delegation stands with Gov. Pillen and [Nebraska Speaker John] Arch as momentum builds for a special session.”
Nebraska is almost a certain victory for Republicans, who’ve won it in every presidential election since 1968, but with polling so tight nationally, the party appears to be maneuvering in order to collect every last electoral vote possible. With a 269 to 269 electoral college tie entirely possible this year, one vote in Nebraska has the potential to impact the presidency like never before.
Former President Donald Trump expressed his support for Pillen’s winner-takes-all proposals in a Truth Social post in April.
“Most Nebraskans have wanted to go back to this system for a very long time, because it’s what 48 other States do,” Trump wrote. “It’s what the Founders intended, and it’s right for Nebraska.”