Nebraska's potential shift to winner-take-all electoral system could give Trump an edge, while Maine misses deadline for counter-move. (GV Wire Illustration/David Rodriguez)
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The electoral college map could potentially shift just before the 2024 presidential election, as Nebraska considers changing its vote allocation system. According to Axios,
Nebraska Republicans are contemplating a move to a winner-take-all system, which would likely benefit former President Donald Trump.
Currently, Nebraska and Maine are the only states that split their electoral votes by congressional district. Nebraska’s potential change could give Trump an additional electoral vote without the risk of retaliation from Maine Democrats, who missed a crucial deadline to implement a similar change in their state.
Tight Race Makes Every Vote Count
The race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to be tight, making every electoral vote crucial. Some projections suggest the election could come down to a single blue-leaning district in Nebraska.
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has expressed willingness to call a special legislative session to reconsider the allocation system if he can secure 33 votes to support the change. Recently, Pillen met with Senator Lindsey Graham and Nebraska Republicans to discuss the matter. All five of Nebraska’s federal delegates have endorsed the change.
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Maine’s Missed Opportunity
In Maine, Democrats had previously warned they would switch to a winner-take-all system if Nebraska made the change. However, they’ve run out of time to implement such a change under normal rules. Emergency legislation could be enacted immediately, but it would require a supermajority in both houses of the state legislature, which Democrats don’t have.
Maine Republicans are not eager to change their state’s system. House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham stated that they should be encouraging other states to adopt a more representative process like Maine’s, rather than switching to winner-take-all.
As the 2024 election approaches, these potential changes in electoral vote allocation could have significant implications for the presidential race.
Read more at Axios