Nebraska Democrats aim to secure a split Electoral College vote in 2024 through local victories.

Red-State Democrats Eye Split Electoral College Vote in 2024

Local Wins Give Hope to Democrats in Heavily Republican States

Democrats in a pair of heavily Republican states are looking toward an obscure election law that could help the party pick up a few stray Electoral College votes that could help secure the White House in 2024.

Democrats saw a handful of key wins in Lincoln, Nebraska, this week after Democratic Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird handily won a second term, and the party was able to win three of the four contested seats on the city council, giving Democrats a 6-1 majority. The local wins give hope to Democrats as they turn their eyes to 2024, hoping to secure Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District electoral vote to the party’s presidential nominee.

Nebraska’s Split Electoral College System

Nebraska is one of two states that allows its electoral votes to be split among candidates in the presidential election rather than operating by a winner-take-all system used by the rest of the country. The only other state that operates through a similar system is Maine.

Through this system, Nebraska awards two of its electoral votes based on the statewide vote and one vote for each of its three congressional districts. Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, where Lincoln is located, has twice awarded its electoral vote to Democratic presidential candidates — stripping Republicans of securing all five of the state’s votes.

Democrats Confident in Securing 2nd District Vote

Democratic leaders say they are confident in their chances to once again secure the support of the 2nd District, pointing to issues such as abortion and education that could help boost voter turnout in their favor.

• “Women’s reproductive freedom will continue to be a key issue that voters want a clear answer from candidates on where they stand, and Republicans are simply out of step with the majority of Nebraskans,” Nebraska Democratic Party Chairwoman Jane Kleeb said.

Republicans in the Cornhusker State have acknowledged abortion is likely to emerge as a key platform in 2024, warning candidates that efforts to ban the procedure could cost them at the polls.

• “[The 2022 midterms] made the message clear to me how critical abortion will be in 2024,” said Nebraska Sen. Merv Riepe. “We must embrace the future of reproductive rights.”

As Title 42 ends, the 2024 campaign border brawl is just getting started. Click here to read more from The Washington Examiner.