Nebraska

NEBRASKA

5 Electoral Votes

Population
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Nebraska Secretary of State)

Total Resident Population, July 1, 2012 est.	1,855,525
Total Registration, Nov. 2012	1,163,871

Rep. 558,145 (47.96%) Dem. 374,075 (32.14%) Nonpartisan 228,361 (19.62%) Libertarian 3,164 Am.Elect 126
Nebraska has: 93 counties.
Largest counties: Douglas, Lancaster, Sarpy. >
Largest cities: Omaha, Lincoln.

Government
Governor: Dave Heineman (R) re-elected in 2010.
State Legislature: Nebraska Legislature Unicameral: 49 Senators
Local: Communities, Counties NACO Counties
U.S. House: 3R - 1. J.Fortenberry (R) | 2. L.Terry (R) | 3. A.Smith (R).
U.S. Senate: Mike Johanns (R) elected in 2008, Ben Nelson (D) did not seek re-election in 2012.

2012
U.S. Senate: In the campaign for the open seat held by Sen. Ben Nelson (D), state Sen. Deb Fischer (R), the surprise GOP nominee, defeated former U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey (D) by 455,593 votes (57.77%) to 332,979 (42.23%).
U.S. House: All three members were re-elected; the 2nd CD race was close as Rep. Lee Terry (R) defeated Douglas County Treasurer John W. Ewing Jr. (D) by 133,964 votes (50.80%) to 129,767 (49.20%).
State Legislature: 26 seats in the unicameral legislature were up.
Ballot Measures: Amendments 1 (impeachment of a civil officer) and 2 (right to hunt, fish and to harvest wildlife) pass; Amendments 3 (change term limits from two to three consecutive terms) and 4 (increase salaries of Members of the Legislature) failed.

State of Nebraska
Secretary of State

NE Democratic Party
NE Republican Party
NE Libertarian Party
NE Green Party
Nebraska Party (Const.)

Omaha World-Herald
News Media
Newspapers
TV, Radio

Leavenworth Street

Politics1-NE
Ballotpedia-NE

The Cornhusker State

Note: Nebraska Revised Statute 32-714 sets out that at large presidential electors vote for the statewide winner and CD electors for the winner in the CD.

General Election -- Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Voting Eligible Population*: 1,321,948.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 60.1%.

Total voting: 804,245 -- includes 595,284 at the polls (74.02%), 207,575 early voters (25.81%), 1,267 military, and 119 new/former residents.

Voter Registration Deadline: October 19, 2012.
Early Voting: October 1, 2012.
Calendar [PDF]

Official Results >
+Romney/Ryan (Rep.)	475,064	(59.80)
Obama/Biden (Dem.)	302,081	(38.03)
Johnson/Gray (Lib.)	11,109	(1.40)
Terry/Smith (Pet.)	2,408	(0.30)
Scattering (w/in)	3,717	(0.47)
Total........794,379

total voting: 804,245

Overview: In 2008 Obama picked up one electoral vote from the 2nd CD (Omaha area). In 2011 Republicans in the legislature made an unsuccessful effort to return the state to a winner-take-all system (see LB21 or [PDF]). Romney/Ryan won in all three congressional districts:
1st CD 152,021 (57.43%) to 108,082 (40.83%); 2nd CD 140,976 (52.85%) to 121,889 (45.70%); 3rd CD 182,067 (70.24%) to 72,110 (27.82%). Statewide Romney's plurality was 172,983 votes (21.77 percentage points). There were a few visits. Michelle Obama did a couple of events in Omaha on April 24; Mitt Romney did a couple of events in Omaha on May 10, Ann Romney did a fundraiser in La Vista on Sept. 21, and Paul Ryan an airport arrival in Omaha on Oct. 20; and Jim Gray did a meet and greet in Omaha on Aug. 7.
Obama | (Romney)
BALLOT [PDF]

Democrats: Precinct Caucuses -- Saturday, April 14, 2012
Presidential Preference Primary (non-binding) -- Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Nebraska Revised Statute 32-401 sets the statewide primary on the "first Tuesday after the second Monday in May in even-numbered years." See also 32-704.

Democrats

Republicans
35 Delegates: 3 RNC; 23 at-large; 9 by CD (3 x 3).
1.53% of the 2,286 Delegates.
details

General Election -- Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Voting Eligible Population*: 1,278,980.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 62.6%.

Total voting: 811,923 -- includes 634,977 at polls, 2,584 military and overseas, 174,219 ev/absentee, and 143 new/former residents.

Total Registration: 1,157,034.
Registration: Mail-in registrations must be postmarked by Oct. 17, 2008. In-person registration at county election offices ends at 6 p.m. Oct 24.
Early Voting: Starting Sept. 29, 2008.

Official Results >
+McCain/Palin (Rep.)	452,979	(56.56)
Obama-Biden (Dem.)	333,319	(41.60)
Baldwin/Castle (Neb.)	2,972	(0.37)
McKinney/Clemente (Grn.)	1,028	(0.13)
Barr/Root (Lib.)	2,740	(0.34)
Nader/Gonzalez (Pet.)	5,406	(0.67)
w/in	2,837	(0.35)
Total........801,281

Ballot [PDF]

2008 Overview
Nebraska distributes electoral votes by congressional district rather than the winner-take-all system used by most states. The Obama campaign actively campaigned in the 2nd CD (Omaha area--all of Douglas County and part of Sarpy County) and picked up one electoral vote, gaining 138,809 votes (49.97%) to 135,439 (48.75%) for McCain. In the 1st CD McCain won by 148,179 votes to 121,411 for Obama and in the 3rd CD McCain won 169,361 votes to 73,099 for Obama. Statewide, McCain's plurality was 119,660 votes (14.96 percentage points).
Obama/Allies | McCain/Allies | Nader

General Election -- Tuesday, November 2, 2004

Voting Eligible Population*: 1,236,522.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 62.9%.

Total voting: 792,906 -- includes 681,998 at polls, 2,964 military and overseas, 107,740 ev/absentee, and 204 new/former residents.

Total Registration: 1,160,199.

+Bush/Cheney (Rep.)

512,814

(65.91)

Kerry/Edwards (Dem.)
254,328

(32.69)

Badnarik/Campagna (Lib.) 2,041 (0.26)

Peroutka/Baldwin (Neb.) 1,314
(0.17)

Cobb/LaMarche (Grn.)
978

(0.13)

Calero/Hawkins (Pet.)
82

(0.01)

Nader/Camejo (Pet.)
5,698

(0.73)

write in
931

(0.12)

Total........778,106

2004 Overview
No doubt about the outcome here as Bush swept to a plurality of 258,486 votes (33.22 percentage points). The Kerry campaign did have a director in the state and did manage to carry one county, Thurston County, by 1,212 votes to 1,154 votes. (Thurston County borders Iowa and is a bit south of Sioux City; it has a large Native American population).

General Election -- Tuesday, November 7, 2000

Voting Eligible Population*: 1,224,178.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 56.9%.

Total voting: 707,223 -- includes 625,557 at polls, 851 military and overseas, 80,452 absentee, and 363 new/former residents.

Total Registration: 1,085,217.

+Bush/Cheney (Rep.)
433,862

(62.25)

Gore/Lieberman (Dem.)
231,780

(33.25)

Browne/Olivier (Lib.)
2,245

(0.32)

Hagelin/Goldhaber (NLP)
478

(0.07)

Nader/LaDuke (Grn.)
24,540

(3.52)

Buchanan/Foster (Petition)
3,646

(0.52)

Phillips/Frazier (Petition)
468

(0.07)

Total........697,019

2000 Overview
Solidly Republican Nebraska went solidly for Bush with a plurality of 202,082 votes (29.00 percentage points). Bush carried all 93 counties. Democrats did retain the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Bob Kerrey (D) as former Gov. Ben Nelson (D) defeated Don Stenberg (R) by 51.0% to 48.8%.

1992 and 1996 General Elections

Archive Pages: 2008 | 2004 | 2000

1992

Bush (Rep.)...........344,346	(46.58)
Clinton (Dem.)........217,344	(29.40)
Perot (Ind.).............174,687	(23.63)
Others (3).................2,906	(0.39)
Total........739,283

1996

Dole (Rep.).............363,467	(53.66)
Clinton (Dem.)........236,761	(34.95)
Perot (Ref.)..............71,278	(10.52)
Others (3)..................5,909	(0.87)
Total........677,415