Nebraska gives two of its electoral votes to the statewide winner and one to the winner of each of its three congressional districts.1 State law has each party choose one presidential elector from each congressional district and two at large.2 Nebraska had used this method since 1992, and before the 2008 election it had never split its votes.3
In 2008, for the first time since adopting the system, Nebraska's five electoral votes were split between the two major-party tickets.4 John McCain and Sarah Palin won the state overall and the First and Third Congressional Districts.5 Barack Obama and Joe Biden won the Second Congressional District and with it one elector.6 The final count was McCain 4 and Obama 1 for president, and Palin 4 and Biden 1 for vice president.7
Maine is the only other state that does not award all its electors to the statewide winner.8 Nebraska split its votes again in 2020, the year both Nebraska and Maine split.9
Nebraska distributes its electoral votes proportionally, with two at-large electors representing the statewide winning presidential and vice presidential candidates and one elector each representing the winners from its three Congressional districts. For the first time since adopting this system, Nebraska's five electoral votes were split between the two major party tickets.
National Archives, Electoral College results for 2008, archives.gov, read October 3, 2026. Quoted as published.
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Each numbered entry quotes the words that support that sentence, as they appear on the linked page.
- Back to sentence 1
Nebraska distributes its electoral votes proportionally, with two at-large electors representing the statewide winning presidential and vice presidential candidates and one elector each representing the winners from its three Congressional districts.
archives.gov/electoral-college/2008 - Back to sentence 2
One presidential elector shall be chosen from each congressional district, and two presidential electors shall be chosen at large.
nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=32-710 - Back to sentence 3
In Nebraska, which has used this method since 1992,
bangordailynews.com/2008/10/26/politics/why-maine-splits-its-electoral-votes Like Maine, Nebraska has yet to split its votes since adopting this system.
bangordailynews.com/2008/10/26/politics/why-maine-splits-its-electoral-votes - Back to sentence 4
For the first time since adopting this system, Nebraska's five electoral votes were split between the two major party tickets.
archives.gov/electoral-college/2008 - Back to sentence 5
The McCain-Palin ticket won Nebraska overall and received the two at-large electors, as well as the electors from the First and Third Congressional Districts, where McCain-Palin also won.
archives.gov/electoral-college/2008 - Back to sentence 6
However, the Obama-Biden ticket won the Second Congressional District and, thus, received its one elector.
archives.gov/electoral-college/2008 - Back to sentence 7
Nebraska's electoral votes were proportionally awarded accordingly: for President, McCain 4 and Obama 1; for Vice President, Palin 4 and Biden 1.
archives.gov/electoral-college/2008 - Back to sentence 8
All States, except for Maine and Nebraska, have a winner-take-all policy where the State looks only at the overall winner of the state-wide popular vote.
archives.gov/electoral-college/allocation - Back to sentence 9
(and, in fact, Nebraska split in 2008, Maine split in 2016, and both split in 2020).
archives.gov/electoral-college/faq
Sources checked on October 3, 2026
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