OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The announcement that Joe Biden had won the presidential election came after Pennsylvania flipped blue, but there was some talk for a while that it could come down to voters in Nebraska's Second Congressional District.
Following the naming of President Elect Joe Biden, his supporters in Nebraska's Second Congressional District celebrated with their community.
Most states do a winner-take-all-system when it comes to electoral votes, but Nebraska and Maine can split their votes.
This year, Nebraska gave four electoral votes to President Donald Trump, and one to President Elect Joe Biden. That one vote came from the Second Congressional District here in Omaha.
It didn’t break any ties, but Creighton University political science professor, Rick Witmer, says the spotlight on NE-2’s flip back to blue was still good for the state and the district.
“It helps with turnout here, and it helps with interest with elections in the future," Witmer said."Because even the voters here, they think, ‘Well this could matter so, my vote matters more than if Nebraska were not to separate its electoral votes.’”
Some say it’s not over just yet, waiting for recounts in Georgiaand some lawsuits filed by the Trump Campaign to make their way through the court system.
Witmer says he doesn’t expect these avenues to lead to a different destination.
“We’ve seen recounts, they usually don’t matter too much, so I don’t expect a recount to make too much a difference with the outcome," Witmer said.
As far as lawsuits go, he says there doesn't seem to beenough evidence that he's seen yet that would hold up in court.
“There hasn’t been a whole lot, from what I can see of specific evidence of voter fraud, voter something that would disallow voted.”
Witmer says local and state leaders are now responsible in part for how smoothly the transition of power will be come January.
“They’re going to have to work together, so Republicans and Democrats both have to be talking about the transition," Witmer said. "We’ve had 200+ years of peaceful transition of power.”