The latest proposal to scrap Nebraska's distinctive presidential electoral system and adopt a statewide winner-take-all vote attracted support Thursday from Secretary of State John Gale and Nebraska's Republican Party.
Former state Sen. DiAnna Schimek of Lincoln, who authored the current system, countered with an argument that splitting votes among congressional districts works best in giving Nebraska voters "a sense of power" and prompting political grass-roots activity that is good for the state.Â
Sen. John Murante of Gretna, author of the latest proposal (LB25), told the Legislature's Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee that winner-take-all "allows our state to speak with one voice" in allocating its five electoral votes to the statewide winner.
Gale said casting all five electoral votes for the winner "maximizes our power in presidential elections."
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Under the current system, Nebraska awards one electoral vote to the winner in each of its three congressional districts while allocating two votes to the statewide victor.Â
Noting that the state has split its electoral votes only once in 26 years, Gale said the current system "hasn't worked; it hasn't made much difference."
But Schimek said she did not anticipate that a split would occur often, but that such an opportunity "provides a good safety valve when there are differences between districts."
Former President Barack Obama won metropolitan Omaha's 2nd Congressional District electoral vote in 2008, marking the only Democratic breakthrough since the system was initiated.Â
Kenny Zoeller, executive director of the Nebraska Republican Party, described Nebraska's current electoral vote system as "a political ploy" supported by former Democratic Gov. Ben Nelson.
It contributes to a rural-urban divide, he said.
In 2016, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton campaigned in Omaha and GOP vice presidential nominee Mike Pence made a late Omaha stop, both in an effort to lock down the competitive 2nd District electoral vote.
The Clinton campaign established a substantial footprint in the district patterned after Obama's successful 2008 effort.Â
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who campaigned in Omaha in advance of Nebraska's spring Republican primary election, ultimately won all five of Nebraska's electoral votes in November.
Only Nebraska and Maine allocate any of their electoral votes by congressional districts.
Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue, a committee member, suggested that Nebraska is comfortable with being unique, pointing to its nonpartisan, one-house Legislature.
Last year, a winner-take-all bill came within one vote of passage in the Legislature.
A motion to invoke cloture and bring an end to a legislative filibuster at the final stage of floor consideration fell one senator short of the 33 votes required to proceed with the bill. That 32-17 count signaled enough support to enact the measure.