The 2020 United States presidential election in Nebraska was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, as part of the 2020 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Nebraska voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, incumbent President Donald Trump, and running mate Vice President Mike Pence against Democratic Party nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, and his running mate California Senator Kamala Harris. Nebraska has five electoral votes in the Electoral College, two from the state at large, and one each from the three congressional districts.
Located in the conservative Great Plains, Nebraska is one of the most reliably Republican states in the country, having backed the Democratic presidential nominee only once since 1936, during Lyndon B. Johnson's 1964 landslide, and having gone to the Republican nominee by a double-digit margin in every presidential election since. However, Nebraska is one of two states, the other being Maine, to allocate its electoral votes by congressional district. A candidate receives one electoral vote for each district won while the statewide winner receives an additional two electoral votes. Ever since Nebraska first adopted this system in 1992, in practice the Republican nominee has almost always won all three districts, and hence all the state's electoral votes. The first time it split its electoral votes came in 2008 when Barack Obama carried Nebraska's 2nd congressional district, anchored by Omaha, and thus received one electoral vote from the state despite losing statewide. The 2nd district returned to the Republican column in the following two elections, but in 2020 it was considered a key battleground.
Trump carried Nebraska statewide by 19 points on Election Day, down from 25 points in 2016. Biden was able to flip the 2nd district, carrying it by 6.6 points, the best Democratic performance since Nebraska first adopted its system of allocation by district, and the first time in this period that the district has voted more Democratic than the nation. Nebraska's 6% margin swing between 2016 and 2020 represented the largest leftward shift towards the Democratic Party out of any state won by Trump that the Democrats otherwise failed to flip, even shifting more leftward than Michigan which was Biden's strongest performance in a state won by Trump in 2016. Trump received the state's other four electoral votes. Before the election, all news organizations declared Nebraska a safe red state, while most organizations viewed the 2nd district as either leaning towards Biden or a tossup. This was the first election in which both Nebraska and Maine split their electoral votes.
Primary elections The primary elections were held on May 12, 2020.
Republican primary
Donald Trump was declared the winner in the Republican primary, and thus received all of Nebraska's 36 delegates to the 2020 Republican National Convention.
2020 Nebraska Republican primary Candidate Votes % Estimateddelegates (incumbent) 36 0 Total 266,655 100% 36
Democratic primary Joe Biden was declared the winner in the Democratic primary.
Libertarian primary
Jo Jorgensen was declared the winner of the Libertarian primary and went on to win the LP nomination. + Nebraska Libertarian presidential primary, May 12, 2020CandidateVotesPercentage Jo Jorgensen50827.8% Jacob Hornberger44424.3% Adam Kokesh26314.4% Lincoln Chafee (withdrawn)25413.9% Max Abramson (withdrawn)18210.0% Dan Behrman1779.7% Total 1,828 100%
General election Final predictions SourceStatewide1st district2nd district3rd districtThe Cook Political ReportInside ElectionsSabato's Crystal BallPoliticoRCPNiskanen2020 Bitecofer Model Electoral College Predictions , Niskanen Center, March 24, 2020, retrieved: April 19, 2020CNNThe EconomistNot givenNot givenNot givenCBS News270towinABC NewsNPRNBC News538
Polling Statewide +Source of pollaggregationDates administeredDates updatedJoeBiden DonaldTrumpOther/UndecidedMarginFiveThirtyEightFiveThirtyEightuntil November 2, 2020November 3, 202042.5%52.1%5.4%Trump +9.7 Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin DonaldTrumpJoeBidenJoJorgensenOtherUndecidedSurveyMonkey/AxiosSurveyMonkey/AxiosOct 20 – Nov 2, 20201,742 (LV)± 3.5%56%43% − − –SurveyMonkey/AxiosOct 1–28, 20202,423 (LV) –53%46% − − –SurveyMonkey/AxiosSep 1–30, 2020799 (LV) –57%41% − −2%SurveyMonkey/AxiosAug 1–31, 2020560 (LV) –53%47% − −1%SurveyMonkey/AxiosJul 1–31, 2020910 (LV) –54%44% − −2%SurveyMonkey/AxiosJun 8–30, 2020267 (LV) –56%42% − −2%
1st congressional district Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin DonaldTrumpJoeBidenJoJorgensenOtherUndecidedStrategies 360/Kate BolzStrategies 360/Kate BolzJul 16–22, 2020400 (LV)± 4.9%48%46% − − –
2nd congressional district
Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin DonaldTrumpJoeBidenJoJorgensenOtherUndecidedUniversity of NevadaUniversity of NevadaOct 30 – Nov 2, 2020191 (LV)± 7%44%50%5% – –Change ResearchChange ResearchOct 29 – Nov 2, 2020920 (LV)± 3.5%47%50%2%0%0%Emerson CollegeEmerson CollegeOct 29–30, 2020806 (LV)± 3.5%48%50% –2% –FM3 Research/Congressional Progressive Caucus PACFM3 Research/Congressional Progressive Caucus PACOct 1–4, 2020450 (LV)± 4.6%42%53% −5% –Siena College/NYTSiena College/NYTSep 25–27, 2020420 (LV)± 5.3%41%48% 4%1%6%Global Strategy Group/House Majority PACGlobal Strategy Group/House Majority PACSep 14–16, 2020400 (LV)± 4.9%44%50% −1%3%Global Strategy Group/House Majority PACJul 27–29, 2020400 (LV) –45%51% −2%3%GQR/Kara EastmanGQR/Kara EastmanJun 30 – Jul 5, 2020502 (LV)± 4.37%44%51% − – –DCCC Targeting and Analytics Department/Ally MutnickDCCC Targeting and Analytics Department/Ally MutnickMay 7–10, 2020448 (LV)± 4.6%41%52% − – –
Electoral slates These slates of electors were nominated by each party in order to vote in the Electoral College should their candidate win the state: Donald Trump and Mike PenceRepublican Party Joe Biden and Kamala HarrisDemocratic Party Jo Jorgensen and Spike CohenLibertarian Party Darlene Starman (At-large)Steve Nelson (At-large)George Olmer (District 1)Mark Quandahl (District 2)Teresa Ibach (District 3) Roger Wess (At-large)Peg Lippert (At-large)Larry Wright (District 1)Precious McKesson (District 2)Kathy Moore Jensen (District 3) Ben Backus (At-large)Laura Ebke (At-large)Trevor Reilly (District 1)Margaret Austgen (District 2)Patrick Birkel (District 3)
Results As expected, Trump easily carried the state at large. However, because Nebraska (along with Maine) allocates its remaining electoral votes by congressional district, Joe Biden was able to win an electoral vote from Nebraska's second district, which covers the increasingly liberal Omaha metro area. Barack Obama also won the same district in 2008 before it went back to the Republican column in 2012 and 2016.
By county
CountyDonald TrumpRepublicanJoe BidenDemocraticVarious candidatesOther partiesMarginTotal#%#%#%#%Adams10,08568.83%4,21328.75%3552.42%5,87240.08%14,653Antelope3,09386.23%45212.60%421.17%2,64173.63%3,587Arthur26091.23%217.37%41.40%23983.86%285Banner36288.08%4310.46%61.46%31977.62%411Blaine28088.33%3511.04%20.63%24577.29%317Boone2,65382.24%49915.47%742.29%2,15466.77%3,226Box Butte4,00276.96%1,05120.21%1472.83%2,95156.75%5,200Boyd1,01087.45%13511.69%100.86%87575.76%1,155Brown1,47087.29%19111.34%231.37%1,27975.95%1,684Buffalo16,64070.18%6,35026.78%7213.04%10,29043.40%23,711Burt2,58069.00%1,06328.43%962.57%1,51740.57%3,739Butler3,54278.40%87319.32%1032.28%2,66959.08%4,518Cass10,12166.04%4,73730.91%4683.05%5,38435.13%15,326Cedar4,17483.23%72514.46%1162.31%3,44968.77%5,015Chase1,74087.00%22611.30%341.70%1,51475.70%2,000Cherry2,84487.00%37311.41%521.59%2,47175.59%3,269Cheyenne3,81379.84%85517.90%1082.26%2,95861.94%4,776Clay2,84879.78%63217.70%902.52%2,21662.08%3,570Colfax2,63670.75%1,02527.51%651.74%1,61143.24%3,726Cuming3,50778.65%87019.51%821.84%2,63759.14%4,459Custer5,09084.69%78613.08%1342.23%4,30471.61%6,010Dakota3,92657.59%2,74440.25%1472.16%1,18217.34%6,817Dawes2,93170.61%1,08226.07%1383.32%1,84944.54%4,151Dawson6,52470.98%2,49727.17%1701.85%4,02743.81%9,191Deuel87184.24%14113.64%222.12%73070.60%1,034Dixon2,33575.47%65121.04%1083.49%1,68454.43%3,094Dodge10,98464.85%5,54432.73%4102.42%5,44032.12%16,938Douglas119,15943.09%150,35054.37%7,0312.54%-31,191-11.28%276,540Dundy88388.04%10510.47%151.49%77877.57%1,003Fillmore2,35974.94%69322.01%963.05%1,66652.93%3,148Franklin1,43783.16%27615.97%150.87%1,16167.19%1,728Frontier1,22984.99%18913.07%281.94%1,04071.92%1,446Furnas2,16383.13%39915.33%401.54%1,76467.80%2,602Gage7,44566.96%3,38530.44%2892.60%4,06036.52%11,119Garden1,01684.67%16113.42%231.91%85571.25%1,200Garfield93386.71%13312.36%100.93%80074.35%1,076Gosper89379.66%21519.18%131.16%67860.48%1,121Grant37593.28%204.98%71.74%35588.30%402Greeley1,01680.70%22918.19%141.11%78762.51%1,259Hall16,18966.21%7,68131.42%5802.37%8,50834.79%24,450Hamilton4,30977.42%1,11820.09%1392.49%3,19157.33%5,566Harlan1,61583.51%28214.58%371.91%1,33368.93%1,934Hayes49492.16%346.34%81.50%46085.82%536Hitchcock1,26485.99%18511.90%312.11%1,08974.09%1,470Holt4,76985.93%68612.36%951.71%4,08373.57%5,550Hooker37685.07%5913.35%71.58%31771.72%442Howard2,78679.35%64818.46%772.19%2,13860.89%3,511Jefferson2,61670.13%1,01627.24%982.63%1,60042.89%3,730Johnson1,51867.98%64728.97%683.05%87139.01%2,233Kearney2,82278.02%70119.38%942.60%2,12158.64%3,617Keith3,54481.12%76317.46%621.42%2,78163.66%4,369Keya Paha47689.81%499.25%50.94%42780.56%530Kimball1,56383.27%26814.28%462.45%1,29568.99%1,877Knox3,72179.04%90519.22%821.74%2,81659.82%4,708Lancaster70,09244.58%82,29352.34%4,8303.08%-12,201-7.76%157,215Lincoln13,07176.16%3,69221.51%4002.33%9,37954.65%17,163Logan40790.44%388.44%51.12%36982.00%450Loup37081.50%7516.52%91.98%29564.98%454Madison11,94075.48%3,47821.99%4012.53%8,46253.49%15,819McPherson27591.06%175.63%103.31%25885.43%302Merrick3,41979.85%74317.35%1202.80%2,67662.50%4,282Morrill2,11382.60%38615.09%592.31%1,72767.51%2,558Nance1,43778.44%35919.60%361.96%1,07858.84%1,832Nemaha2,42870.75%92126.84%832.41%1,50743.91%3,432Nuckolls1,85780.56%40917.74%391.70%1,44862.82%2,305Otoe5,64967.61%2,49029.80%2162.59%3,15937.81%8,355Pawnee1,07174.95%32222.53%362.52%74952.42%1,429Perkins1,32185.50%19912.88%251.62%1,12272.62%1,545Phelps4,15782.79%75214.98%1122.23%3,40567.81%5,021Pierce3,46286.29%48011.96%701.75%2,98274.33%4,012Platte12,18677.51%3,26020.74%2751.75%8,92656.77%15,721Polk2,29179.36%53018.36%662.28%1,76161.00%2,887Red Willow4,52582.72%81114.83%1342.45%3,71467.89%5,470Richardson3,07374.33%99624.09%651.58%2,07750.24%4,134Rock74488.36%849.98%141.66%66078.38%842Saline3,63162.82%1,98634.36%1632.82%1,64528.46%5,780Sarpy51,97954.04%41,20642.84%3,0083.12%10,77311.20%96,193Saunders9,10871.23%3,33126.05%3472.72%5,77745.18%12,786Scotts Bluff10,95270.55%4,19627.03%3762.42%6,75643.52%15,524Seward6,49070.55%2,43826.50%2712.95%4,05244.05%9,199Sheridan2,29285.39%34012.67%521.94%1,95272.72%2,684Sherman1,32277.76%34320.18%352.06%97957.58%1,700Sioux64287.82%729.85%172.33%57077.97%731Stanton2,56180.92%53216.81%722.27%2,02964.11%3,165Thayer2,30877.22%62420.88%571.90%1,68456.34%2,989Thomas37788.29%4510.54%51.17%33277.75%427Thurston1,18049.60%1,12247.16%773.24%582.44%2,379Valley1,90181.10%41217.58%311.32%1,48963.52%2,344Washington8,58368.85%3,55428.51%3302.64%5,02940.34%12,467Wayne3,05572.43%1,02224.23%1413.34%2,03348.20%4,218Webster1,51180.54%33517.86%301.60%1,17662.68%1,876Wheeler43887.08%5911.73%61.19%37975.35%503York5,33774.53%1,63022.76%1942.71%3,70751.77%7,161Totals556,84658.22%374,58339.17%24,9542.61%182,26319.05%956,383
By congressional district Trump won two of Nebraska's three congressional districts, while Biden won the second, which elected a Republican.