The Conservative Effort Behind Winner-Take-All
Legislators in the Unicameral are trying to return Nebraska to the same, less-representative method of allocating electors that other states use.
STATE LEGISLATION
This year as the legislature has come back into session some dangerous bills have been presented for debate and possible adoption. Chief among them the attempt to disenfranchise Nebraskans by making the state less competitive.
Here's some of the basics you'll need to know:
LB3
LR24CA
LB3 is the first bill under consideration. This bill would return Nebraska's allocation of electoral votes in presidential elections to go to the winner of the popular vote in the state.
This represents the backup plan. LR24CA is the plan to make a ballot measure of the issue. So instead of senators simply voting the process back to the old system, voters could reinstitute it. With a majority of voters belonging to the Republican party, they stand to gain politically from its passage.
What's the big deal?
Currently, Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District (containing Omaha) is highly competitive between Democratic and Republican candidates. In the last several presidential races, NE-02 has gone back and forth between the parties, occasionally splitting with the rest of the state and delivering a single electoral vote to the Democratic candidate. There are a handful of scenarios where the outcome of the election could come down to how NE-02 falls. As a result, presidential campaigns have paid outsized attention to the Omaha area and spent millions of dollars advertising. If the area was made non-competitive again, Nebraska would be considered solidly Republican and not worth investing time or effort.
What can I do?
Let your state senator know how you feel, and about the importance of keeping Nebraska's voice unique on the national stage. You can do this by calling, emailing them, or writing a letter! The more personal touch you can add, the better.
Tell neighbors and family members in the state to reach out to their elected state rep. to voice their feelings on the issue.
Show up at a hearing or demonstration! (NDP is holding an event on January 30th to coincide with a hearing on the bill)