Republicans in Nebraska want state to stop splitting Electoral Votes

[RoadRage]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100107/NEWS01/100109771

What a shock.. Republicans aren't too happy that the progressive city of Omaha had the audcity to vote for Obama and give him 1 Electoral Vote.. so a state senator (R) is introducing a bill to make the state a "Winner Take All". How surprising...




LINCOLN - Nebraska would rejoin the majority of states with a winner-take-all electoral vote under a bill expected to be introduced in the Legislature today.

State Sen. Beau McCoy of Omaha plans to offer the proposal when lawmakers gather for the second day of the 2010 session.

Currently, Nebraska is one of two states that allow for split electoral college votes. The other is Maine.

Three of the state's five electoral college votes go to the presidential candidate who wins the popular vote in each congressional district. The remaining two votes go to the candidate who wins the statewide vote.

In 2008, the system allowed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama to receive one vote from Nebraska. He won in the second congressional district, which encompasses the Omaha metro area.

McCoy, who is a registered Republican, said Nebraska's current system puts the state at a disadvantage.

Backers of the system say it allows Nebraska to remain a player in national elections despite the state's relatively small electoral vote total.

State Sen. Heath Mello of Omaha, a Democrat, called the proposal "the Republican sour grapes bill."

The GOP, he said, is upset that Obama grabbed an electoral vote in Nebraska is out to stop that from happening again.

[mrcheerful]

1. Here they go again, they lose on issues so their answer to it is garbage that once they

get back into power they then want to change it back to the way it was. Just like their battle cry of term limits, all for it until they find out they have to abide by the same law as the other side.

[Kdillard]

2. yep.

[RoadRage]

3. Yup...

but this is why i'm cautious when some dem's want to lower the number below 60 in the senate to prevent filibusters... yeah, it would be nice now.. but just imagine as soon as Republicans have the majority again (and it will happen some day).

[mvymvy]

4. 74% of Nebraska Voters Support a National Popular Vote

74% of Nebraska Voters Support a National Popular Vote AND
Prefer it to District System or Winner-Take-All 

A survey of 800 Nebraska voters conducted on December 22-23,
2008 showed 74% overall support for a national popular vote
for President.

In a follow-up question presenting a three-way choice among
various methods of awarding Nebraska’s electoral votes,

    * 60% favored a national popular vote;
    * 28% favored Nebraska’s current system of awarding its
electoral votes by congressional district; and
    * 13% favored the statewide winner-take-all system (i.e.,
awarding all of Nebraska’s electoral votes to the candidate
who receives the most votes statewide).

When presented with the basic question of a national popular
vote, support for a national popular vote was, by political
affiliation, 79% among Democrats, 70% among Republicans, and
75% among Others.

By congressional district, support for a national popular
vote was 77% in the First congressional district, 68% in the
Second district; and 77% in the Third District. As you know,
the Second district voted for Obama in November 2008, and
Obama received one electoral vote by virtue of carrying the
Second district.

By age, support for a national popular vote was 64% among
18-29 year olds, 72% among 30-45 year olds, 73% among 46-65
year olds, and 79% for those older than 65.

By gender, support for a national popular vote was 82% among
women and 66% among men.

By race, support for a national popular vote was 75% among
whites (representing 88% of respondents), 56% among African
Americans (representing 4% of respondents), 75% among
Hispanics (representing 1% of respondents), and 67% among
Others (representing 7% of respondents). 

see www.NationalPopularVote.com

[mvymvy]

5. The National Popular Vote bill

The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency
to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50
states (and DC). 

Every vote, everywhere, would be politically relevant and
equal in presidential elections. 

The bill would take effect only when enacted, in identical
form, by states possessing a majority of the electoral
votes--that is, enough electoral votes to elect a President
(270 of 538). When the bill comes into effect, all the
electoral votes from those states would be awarded to the
presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in
all 50 states (and DC). 

The Constitution gives every state the power to allocate its
electoral votes for president, as well as to change state law
on how those votes are awarded. 

The bill is currently endorsed by over 1,659 state legislators
(in 48 states) who have sponsored and/or cast recorded votes
in favor of the bill. 

In Gallup polls since 1944, only about 20% of the public has
supported the current system of awarding all of a state's
electoral votes to the presidential candidate who receives the
most votes in each separate state (with about 70% opposed and
about 10% undecided). The recent Washington Post, Kaiser
Family Foundation, and Harvard University poll shows 72%
support for direct nationwide election of the President. This
national result is similar to recent polls in closely divided
battleground states: Colorado-- 68%, Iowa --75%, Michigan--
73%, Missouri-- 70%, New Hampshire-- 69%, Nevada-- 72%, New
Mexico-- 76%, North Carolina-- 74%, Ohio-- 70%, Pennsylvania
-- 78%, Virginia -- 74%, and Wisconsin -- 71%; in smaller
states (3 to 5 electoral votes): Delaware --75%, Maine -- 77%,
Nebraska -- 74%, New Hampshire --69%, Nevada -- 72%, New
Mexico -- 76%, Rhode Island -- 74%, and Vermont -- 75%;  in
Southern and border states: Arkansas --80%, Kentucky -- 80%,
Mississippi --77%, Missouri -- 70%, North Carolina -- 74%, and
Virginia -- 74%; and in other states polled: California --
70%, Connecticut -- 74% , Massachusetts -- 73%, New York --
79%, Washington -- 77%, and West Virginia- 81%.  Support is
strong in every partisan and demographic group surveyed.

The National Popular Vote bill has passed 29 state legislative
chambers, in 19 small, medium-small, medium, and large states,
including one house in Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine,
Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Oregon,  and
both houses in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, New
Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, and
Washington. The bill has been enacted by Hawaii, Illinois, New
Jersey, Maryland, and Washington. These five states possess 61
electoral votes -- 23% of the 270 necessary to bring the law
into effect.

See http://www.NationalPopularVote.com 

[high density]

6. I don't agree with splitting electoral votes on a state by state basis

Either all states should do it or nobody should do it. Maine has the same setup, though I don't believe it has ever split its votes. I still hate the idea of it.