DRONE: Democrats in Omaha, Nebraska rally to retain a coveted Electoral College vote

Record ID: 1849555

  • Title: DRONE: Democrats in Omaha, Nebraska rally to retain a coveted Electoral College vote
  • Date: 20th October 2024
  • Summary: OMAHA, NEBRASKA, USA (OCTOBER 20, 2024) (REUTERS) (MUTE) DRONE TIMELAPSE OF CROWD FORMING BLUE DOT IN OMAHA’S MEMORIAL PARK, 30X SPEED (SOUNDBITE) (English) JACOB CARMICHAEL, DOUGLAS COUNTY DEMOCRATS ORGANIZER, SAYING: “We know we matter, we’re stressed when we look at the map, but it also makes us kind of excited and proud that we might be the deciding vote.” (MUTE) AERIA
  • Embargoed: 3rd November 2024 22:31
  • Keywords: OMAHA democrat democrats electoral electoral college electoral votes harris nebraska republican trump
  • Location: Omaha, Nebraska, United States
  • City: Omaha, Nebraska, United States
  • Country: US
  • Topics: North America,Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
  • Reuters ID: LVA001333920102024RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Hundreds of Nebraska voters gathered to form a human blue dot in Omaha Sunday (October 20), just weeks after a failed bid by Republicans to change the way the state’s electoral votes are distributed.
    The human blue dot, organized by the group Blue Dot Energy and the Douglas County Democratic Party, represent the electoral results these same voters hope for in Nebraska.
    “We are one of two states that splits our electoral vote based on congressional districts. So overall, the state has five electoral votes split into three districts. The two senators and the other two districts will very likely go red. But Omaha is a very purple district and we are a like battleground for it,” said Jacob Carmichael, an organizer with the county democratic party.
    Omaha’s lone electoral vote has gained importance as potential electoral maps show that in some scenarios Harris might need that single vote to reach 270, the number of votes needed to win the presidency.
    “We know we can be the tiebreaker. We talked about it yesterday. Look at the numbers, if the blue wall in the north holds Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, we can, you know, all the other blue states hold, we can lose North Carolina and Georgia and as long as our electoral vote goes to Kamala Harris, that's 270,” Carmichael said.
    A tie of 269 vs 269 electoral votes between Harris and Trump would lead to an election in the U.S. House of Representatives where each state gets one vote. With more republican leaning-states, the House would most likely elect Trump.
    Nebraska governor Jim Pillen was considering calling a special session of the state legislature in September, mere weeks before voting started in the state, to change the electoral vote distribution.
    State Senator Mike McDonnell, a Republican who represents south Omaha, was the lone Republican voice against the change and prevented the special session.
    McDonnell told Reuters he personally disagrees with the winner-take-all model, but his main objection to a special session was to do it weeks before voting started.
    “Since 2016, when I was elected, I've always said that I think we should leave our system in place and not go back to winner take all. But also, I was willing to let the people vote, and I think they should vote mid-term. And if they're going to make that kind of change and let everybody know the rules have changed two years before a presidential election,” McDonnell told Reuters.
    Some Republican voters in Omaha, albeit outside of his district, were disappointed.
    “I do think that the Electoral College system should be a winner take all for all the states. That way it would be fair across the board and you know. Nebraska is a red state, Omaha is a blue dot. But I would like my vote to count with the state as a whole as a Nebraskan,” said Mary Keck, who has voted for Republicans since 2012.
    Early voting has already begun on Nebraska, both by mail and in person. Omaha voters told Reuters they are doing their best to make sure their candidate wins.
    “I hope that based on, you know, looking at the candidates, that she won't need our blue dot, but we will deliver it to her in case she does,” said Marcia Anderson, who took part in the Blue Dot event.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register