Nebraska sticks with split electoral vote system as ‘winner-take-all’ bill fails

• Nebraska’s LB 3, a bill to switch the state’s Electoral College system to a “winner-take-all format,” failed to pass. Supporters couldn’t overcome a four-hour filibuster and meet the 33-vote threshold.
• Critics argued that the bill would undermine Nebraska’s unique representation in national elections and lock electoral votes in favor of one political party.
• Despite the setback, Gov. Jim Pillen expressed disappointment over the bill’s failure and pledged to keep working toward a winner-take-all system in time for the 2028 election. 

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Another year, another failed attempt to change Nebraska’s Electoral College system to a winner-take-all format. LB 3, which was up for debate in the unicameral on April 8, didn’t receive enough votes from senators. Supporters of the change couldn’t overcome a four-hour filibuster and meet the threshold of 33 votes.

LB 3: Switch Nebraska’s electoral voting system

State Sen. Loren Lippincott introduced the bill on behalf of Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, seeking to overhaul the state’s system of splitting electoral votes in presidential elections. 

“It is about creating a system that ensures that every Nebraskan’s vote counts equally, promotes unified representation and strengthens our state’s voice in the national conversation,” Lippincott said. 

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The push for change gained momentum during the 2024 presidential race. President Donald Trump advocated for the shift as part of his campaign. During Pillen’s initial attempt to change the system, Trump urged Republican senators to support the bill if a special session were called.

Currently, Nebraska’s electoral system doesn’t follow the winner-take-all approach. Instead, the candidate with the highest vote total in the state earns two of the state’s electoral votes. The other three votes are allocated based on the winners of Nebraska’s three congressional districts.

Since its implementation in 1992, Republicans have generally won the popular vote in Nebraska. However, one congressional district has consistently voted Democratic: District 2, which covers Omaha. This district has supported Democratic candidates like Kamala Harris, Joe Biden and Barack Obama, earning it the nickname “the blue dot.”

How did Gov. Pillen react?

Pillen expressed disappointment after the bill’s failure, citing his goal of unifying the voice of Nebraska voters in presidential elections. He vowed to continue working with allies to push for Nebraska’s shift to a winner-take-all system in time for the 2028 election. Maine is the only other state that does not follow this model.

“I am deeply disappointed that a minority of the Legislature defeated the will of the majority of their colleagues and, more importantly, the majority of Nebraskans by filibustering Winner-Take-All. WTA is supported by a substantial majority of the people’s representatives and should have received a fair up-or-down vote,”

Gov. Jim Pillen

Former Nebraska governor and current U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts supported reversing the state’s voting system. In a post on X, he said, “I urge the Unicameral to let Nebraskans speak with a united voice by electing a President who will represent our entire state. Passing winner-take-all is long overdue.”

Sen. Ricketts is the son of Joe Ricketts, the founder of Straight Arrow News.

Opposition to winner-take-all system

Lincoln Sen. Danielle Conrad was one of the lawmakers who opposed the bill. She argued that Nebraska’s current voting system gives the state a unique voice in national elections.

Conrad emphasized that it reflects the diverse political views of Nebraskans, acknowledging that not everyone in the state shares the same ideology or opinions.

State Sen. Megan Hunt shared the same sentiment, arguing LB 3 would give one party power over the other.

“This bill is about locking up all five of Nebraska’s electoral votes for the Republican Party because the current system doesn’t always give them what they want,” she said.

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It wasn’t just lawmakers voicing opposition; Nebraskans also showed up at the Capitol on Tuesday, April 8, to make their concerns known. Civic Nebraska expressed appreciation for those who emailed, called and met with lawmakers in an effort to see LB 3 fail.

“Your sustained, thoughtful, and organized defense mirrored the very principle behind Nebraska’s split electoral vote system. Just as our system ensures that no Nebraskan is politically invisible, your actions proved that democracy is strongest when all voices are represented and engaged. You protected our electoral system in 2025 and, along the way, demonstrated why it exists in the first place,” the organization said.

After four hours of debate and filibusters, Lippincott motioned to invoke cloture to end the debate and push senators to vote on the bill. However, the motion was rejected with a 31-18 vote.