LINCOLN- Nebraska Republicans who want to change how the state distributes its Electoral College votes before the presidential election this fall will have to take a backseat to property tax reform. Governor Jim Pillen's office recently confirmed that the special legislative session he called will focus solely on property taxes and won't include the winner-take-all voting sentiment. Omaha State Senator Lou Ann Linehan has said the special session could last until Labor Day, pushing the change back close to the election.

Spokeswoman Laura Strimple left the door open on the possibility of rewarding all of the state's electoral votes to the presidential candidate that wins the popular vote rather than the current allocation. Currently, Nebraska awards two electoral votes to the candidate who won the overall popular vote, and one to each of the state's three congressional districts. A shift to a winner-take-all format would favor the Republican candidate Donald Trump, but the liberal state of Maine has threatened to make the same change to offset any potential advantage.

Pillen was present at the recent Republican National Convention in Milwaukee when Donald Trump spoke. Pillen believes that Nebraska shouldn't stand alone with Maine as the only states to divide where their electoral votes are distributed, but many believe this is a tactic to favor the GOP while the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District remains highly contested. Trump himself called at least one Nebraska lawmaker to push for the winner-take-all format when the measure was being discussed, although his campaign denies that claim.

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