Nebraska Casts 4 Electoral Votes for Trump, 1 for Biden

Nebraska presidential electors cast four Electoral College votes for Republican President Donald Trump and one for Democrat Joe Biden Monday.

In most states, whichever candidate wins the popular vote gets all that state’s electoral college votes. But Nebraska – and Maine – give two votes to the winner of the statewide popular vote, and divide the rest according to who wins in each congressional district.

This year, Donald Trump won Nebraska’s statewide vote handily, by about 557,000 to 375,000. But in the Omaha-area Second Congressional District, Joe Biden won, by about 176,000 to 154,000.

That caused Nebraska Democrats to turn out to celebrate the vote to be cast for Biden by Precious McKesson of Omaha. Secretary of State Bob Evnen announced the votes of each elector,

Darlene Starman at large has cast his ballot for Donald J. Trump. Steve Nelson at large has cast his ballot for Donald J. Trump. George Palmer from the First Congressional District has cast his ballot for Donald J. Trump. Precious McKesson of the Second Congressional District has cast her vote for Joseph R. Biden,” Evnen intoned, as the crowd in the Capitol hearing room interrupted Evnen with cheers, causing him to joke “I knew I’d have to wait for it,” before concluding “Teresa Ibach of the Third Congressional District has cast her vote for Donald J. Trump.”

In a news conference earlier in the day, McKesson, an African American woman, reflected on the significance of the occasion.

“For so long we’ve seen… women of color not being able to be elected. We see a lot of women who don’t look like us. And so, for us to have this space…it means a lot. It means a lot to the women who had ran who maybe had not won, but the women who every day go out fighting for our rights. It’s not just about me being an African American woman. It’s about all women, because at the end of the day we want our seat at the table, and now we have it,” McKesson said.

According to the secretary of state’s office, McKesson appears to be the first African American to cast an Electoral College vote in Nebraska.

There have been at least three women to cast votes, all for Republicans: Former Gov. Kay Orr of Lincoln, for George W. Bush in 2004 and Mitt Romney in 2012, and Pat Dowart of Sidney, for John McCain in 2008.

Nebraska’s votes, along with those of the other states, will now be forwarded to Congress, where they will be counted January 6.

Editor's note: In addition to the Republican women electors listed above, Sue Morrissey of Kearney cast an Electoral College vote for President Lyndon Johnson in 1964.