Sen. Lindsey Graham hopes Nebraska will change system that could give electoral vote to Harris

Washington — Sen. Lindsey Graham said Thursday he’s hopeful Nebraska will change the way it apportions its Electoral College votes in the upcoming election, given the possibility that the presidential election could come down to a single electoral vote.

“I hope they will allow winner-take-all,” Graham, a South Carolina Republican, told reporters on Thursday. Graham met with Nebraska’s governor and state lawmakers to discuss moving the state to a winner-take-all electoral system the day before. “Trump’s going to win the state by 20 points.”

In 48 states, electoral votes are allocated based upon which candidate wins the majority of votes in the state. Nebraska, along with Maine, are the exception, apportioning their electoral votes based partially upon congressional districts. And in the Cornhusker State, that could mean Vice President Kamala Harris could come away with a single electoral vote from an Omaha-area district.

Graham said it’s “very reasonable” for Nebraska to push for a change to the electoral vote system now because “the whole fate of the country and the world could hinge on one electoral vote.” 

“I was glad to go out and talk about the world as I see it,” Graham said of his trip to Nebraska. “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.”

Graham said Nebraska GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts and Gov. Jim Pillen asked him to make the trip. 

“I absolutely believe in going to winner-take-all, and I encouraged Lindsey go to Nebraska,” Ricketts told reporters Thursday, adding that it’s “certainly a possibility” that the election comes down to a single Electoral College vote, “which is why we need to have winner take all in Nebraska.”

Ricketts argued that not having a winner-take-all system disenfranchises rural voters. And he praised Graham as “a great spokesperson” for the change, adding that “he’s very savvy about why we need to make sure that all of our voters have an opportunity to have their voices heard.”

Former President Donald Trump would almost certainly benefit from the change in electoral apportionment. The change would require action from the state legislature. And Pillen said in a statement last week that he’s supportive of the change, which would award all five Electoral College votes to whichever candidate wins the majority of support in the state, rather than the two that are linked to the popular vote in the state at present.

“As I have also made clear, I am willing to convene the Legislature for a special session to fix this 30-year-old problem before the 2024 election,” the governor said, though he noted that he must first receive indication that there’s enough support among state senators. Early voting in Nebraska begins on Oct. 1, but the secretary of state said a switch to a winner-take-all system could be implemented anytime before Election Day on Nov. 5, according to a report from KOLN.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer during a news conference on Thursday accused the GOP of working to change the rules because “they can’t win legitimately.”

“They’re very worried about the election, as they should be,” Schumer said.