After four days of general file debate, lawmakers voted March 2 to cease debate and advance a bill to select file that would reinstate a winner-take-all system for allocating Nebraska\u2019s presidential electoral votes.<\/p>\n
Currently, the winner of Nebraska\u2019s statewide popular vote receives two Electoral College votes. The state\u2019s three congressional districts also award one electoral vote each based on the popular vote winner in each district. Maine is the only other state to use this system.<\/p>\n
LB10, sponsored by Omaha Sen. Beau McCoy, would reinstate a winner-take-all system and award all five electoral votes to the winner of the state\u2019s popular vote.<\/p>\n
McCoy said the current system disadvantages voters in rural parts of the state.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see LB10 as giving a voice to rural Nebraskans and [as] a way of unifying our state\u2019s five electoral votes as one winner-take-all vote in presidential elections,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion supported the bill, saying other states are not following Nebraska\u2019s lead and moving to the district plan. While the state has many unique systems that work well\u2014such as the unicameral Legislature and public power\u2014district allocation of electoral votes is not among them, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not one of the unique characteristics of Nebraska that I believe is to the advantage of Nebraskans,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n
Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers offered an amendment that would have required the secretary of state to divide Nebraska into five presidential elector districts. Each district would be allocated one of the state\u2019s five Electoral College votes, and would cast it on behalf of the winner of the district\u2019s popular vote.<\/p>\n
Such a system would better represent voters across the entire state, Chambers said, calling LB10 an effort to silence the voting minority in Nebraska.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Republican Party is overwhelmingly in command in this state; nobody denies that,\u201d Chambers said. \u201c And because of that very great imbalance, they should not go the next step to deliberately, notoriously [and] consciously take away what little bit of opportunity those who are not Republican would have to cast a vote that would indeed mean something.\u201d<\/p>\n
McCoy offered a motion to invoke cloture\u2014or cease debate and force a vote on the bill\u2014which senators narrowly approved on a 33-16 vote. A successful cloture motion requires at least 33 votes in support.<\/p>\n
Following the cloture vote, the Chambers amendment failed 17-31. The bill then advanced to select file on a vote of 31-17.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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