Graham says he’s hopeful Nebraska will flip to winner-take-all electoral system
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) voiced his support for Nebraska Republican’s effort to flip the state’s way of distributing Electoral College votes to a winner-take-all electoral system — a move that would benefit former President Trump come November.
“I hope they will allow winner-take-all,” Graham told CBS News on Thursday. “Trump’s going to win the state by 20 points.”
Graham traveled to Nebraska this week. He met with Gov. Jim Pillen (R) and state lawmakers to discuss the potential change. Nebraska has five Electoral College votes. Unlike most states, it gives two votes to the winner of the popular vote in the Cornhusker State. The other three are divided by congressional districts and go to the popular vote winner in each of those districts. Maine is the other exception.
GOP members of Congress from Nebraska called on their state on Wednesday to switch to a winner-take-all electoral system.
Graham stated that the lawmakers’ initiative was “very reasonable” since “the whole fate of the country and the world could hinge on one electoral vote,” according to CBS News.
“I was glad to go out and talk about the world as I see it,” Graham said. “I hope the people in Nebraska will understand this may come down to a single electoral vote. And I just don’t believe a Harris presidency is good for Nebraska.”
In early April, an attempt by the state’s GOP lawmakers to make the change failed a procedural vote. A push to glue the legislation to another measure as an amendment did not succeed with only eight lawmakers backing it.
The potential adjustment would be crucial in the 2024 presidential election. If Vice President Harris wins the popular vote in the state’s 2nd District, she would secure an additional Electoral College vote, making it slightly easier to get to 270. President Biden won the district by nearly 7 percent in 2020. Trump won the state in 2020 by over 19 percent.
The Hill reached out to Graham’s office for comment.
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