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Democrats eye Trump as way to siphon Nebraska electoral vote

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska is the only state in the past century to split its electoral votes between presidential candidates from two different parties. Now Democrats are hoping to do so again if the GOP remains divided over presumptive nominee Donald Trump.

Only Nebraska and Maine have rules in place to choose their electors based on congressional district results rather than award them all to the statewide winner. In 2008, Barack Obama won the Omaha district while the rest of the state solidly backed Republican John McCain.

Nebraska Democratic Party Chairman Vince Powers predicts Trump will dampen Republican turnout in the November election and mobilize Democrats and minority voters in the largely urban district.

The last state before Nebraska to have a partisan split of its electoral votes was West Virginia in 1916.

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