The Nebraska Senate has been debating how the state should elect presidential electors intermittently, starting on January 27. Currently each of Nebraska’s three U.S. House districts elects its own presidential elector. LB 382, introduced over a year ago, provides for winner-take-all elections for presidential elector, similar to the laws of 48 other states. The bill is sponsored by Senator Charlie Janssen, a Republican.

Senator Ken Haar, a Democrat, has proposed two amendments, which are being debated on January 29. One says that each of Nebraska’s five Public Service Commissioner districts should elect its own presidential elector. This would eliminate the current provision that the two at-large electors be chosen by the statewide vote.

The other Haar amendment provides that the presidential electors should be elected, based on the percentage of the popular vote received by each presidential candidate. If this idea had been in effect in 1992, Ross Perot would have received one electoral vote from Nebraska, Bill Clinton would have received one, and George H. W. Bush would have received three. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the news about the debate on LB 382.