1996 United States presidential election in Nebraska explained

The 1996 United States presidential election in Nebraska took place on November 5, 1996. All 50 states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1996 United States presidential election. Voters chose five electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

Nebraska was won by Kansas Senator Bob Dole, who was running against incumbent United States President Bill Clinton of Arkansas. Clinton ran a second time with former Tennessee Senator and Vice President Al Gore, and Dole ran with former New York Congressman Jack Kemp.^[1]

Nebraska weighed in for this election as 27.22 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This would be the last presidential election until 2012 when the Democratic candidate won the general election without carrying Nebraska's second congressional district. The presidential election of 1996 was a very multi-partisan election for Nebraska, with more than 11 percent of the electorate voting for third-party candidates. As was typical for the time, nearly every county in Nebraska turned out primarily for the Republican candidate, with the exception of Saline County, which had long been the most Democratic county in the state, plus two northeastern counties with substantial Hispanic or Native American populations., this is the last election in which Dakota County voted for a Democratic presidential candidate.^[2]

With 53.65 percent of the popular vote, Nebraska would prove to be Dole's third strongest state in the 1996 election after Utah and neighboring Kansas.^[3]

In his second bid for the presidency, Ross Perot led the newly formed Reform Party to gain over 10% of the votes in Nebraska, and to pull in support nationally as the most popular third-party (not including independents) candidate to run for United States Presidency in recent times. Arthur County was one of only two counties in which Perot came in second place in 1996, ahead of one of the two major-party nominees, the other being Loving County, Texas.

Results

1996 United States presidential election in Nebraska
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Republican	Bob Dole	363,467	53.65%	5
	Democratic	Bill Clinton (incumbent)	236,761	34.95%	0
	Reform	Ross Perot	71,278	10.52%	0
	Libertarian	Harry Browne	2,792	0.41%	0
	Independent	Howard Phillips	1,928	0.28%	0
	Natural Law	John Hagelin	1,189	0.18%	0
Totals			677,415	100.00%	5
Voter turnout (voting age/registered)

Congressional district

Dole won all 3 congressional districts.^[4]

district	Dole	Clinton	Representative
		50%	38%		Doug Bereuter
		53%	38%		Jon Lynn Christensen
	59%	29%		Bill Barrett

Results by county

County[5]	Bob Dole Republican		Bill Clinton Democratic		Ross Perot Reform		Harry Browne Libertarian		Howard Phillips Independent		John Hagelin Natural Law		Margin		Total votes cast
	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"			data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%
	Adams		6,924		55.41%		3,935		31.49%		1,513		12.11%		60		0.48%		53		0.42%		11		0.09%		2,989		23.92%		12,496
	Antelope		2,005		59.50%		884		26.23%		457		13.56%		11		0.33%		10		0.30%		3		0.09%		1,121		33.27%		3,370
	Arthur		187		72.48%		25		9.69%		46		17.83%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		141		54.65%		258
	Banner		309		76.11%		62		15.27%		30		7.39%		2		0.49%		3		0.74%		0		0.00%		247		60.84%		406
	Blaine		284		75.13%		53		14.02%		39		10.32%		1		0.26%		1		0.26%		0		0.00%		231		61.11%		378
	Boone		1,695		57.63%		806		27.41%		424		14.42%		7		0.24%		3		0.10%		6		0.20%		889		30.22%		2,941
	Box Butte		2,458		49.41%		1,782		35.82%		695		13.97%		18		0.36%		15		0.30%		7		0.14%		676		13.59%		4,975
	Boyd		778		57.97%		372		27.72%		181		13.49%		5		0.37%		3		0.22%		3		0.22%		406		30.25%		1,342
	Brown		1,105		62.57%		359		20.33%		289		16.36%		4		0.23%		8		0.45%		1		0.06%		746		42.24%		1,766
	Buffalo		10,004		63.09%		4,277		26.97%		1,484		9.36%		49		0.31%		16		0.10%		26		0.16%		5,727		36.12%		15,856
	Burt		1,707		48.83%		1,237		35.38%		497		14.22%		21		0.60%		31		0.89%		3		0.09%		470		13.45%		3,496
	Butler		2,042		55.25%		1,099		29.73%		512		13.85%		19		0.51%		14		0.38%		10		0.27%		943		25.52%		3,696
	Cass		4,878		50.37%		3,477		35.90%		1,239		12.79%		41		0.42%		29		0.30%		21		0.22%		1,401		14.47%		9,685
	Cedar		2,171		52.20%		1,218		29.29%		739		17.77%		10		0.24%		19		0.46%		2		0.05%		953		22.91%		4,159
	Chase		1,277		68.88%		365		19.69%		197		10.63%		9		0.49%		3		0.16%		3		0.16%		912		49.19%		1,854
	Cherry		1,905		68.04%		551		19.68%		332		11.86%		2		0.07%		7		0.25%		3		0.11%		1,354		48.36%		2,800
	Cheyenne		2,571		64.83%		1,059		26.70%		287		7.24%		31		0.78%		10		0.25%		8		0.20%		1,512		38.13%		3,966
	Clay		1,982		59.86%		880		26.58%		425		12.84%		6		0.18%		16		0.48%		2		0.06%		1,102		33.28%		3,311
	Colfax		1,954		55.23%		1,065		30.10%		492		13.91%		9		0.25%		14		0.40%		4		0.11%		889		25.13%		3,538
	Cuming		2,520		61.60%		1,033		25.25%		503		12.30%		10		0.24%		20		0.49%		5		0.12%		1,487		36.35%		4,091
	Custer		3,453		64.15%		1,293		24.02%		615		11.42%		10		0.19%		9		0.17%		3		0.06%		2,160		40.13%		5,383
	Dakota		2,592		43.31%		2,632		43.98%		721		12.05%		13		0.22%		21		0.35%		6		0.10%		−40		−0.67%		5,985
	Dawes		1,991		55.69%		1,108		30.99%		442		12.36%		20		0.56%		8		0.22%		6		0.17%		883		24.70%		3,575
	Dawson		4,794		59.44%		2,180		27.03%		1,044		12.94%		26		0.32%		15		0.19%		6		0.07%		2,614		32.41%		8,065
	Deuel		629		63.47%		245		24.72%		111		11.20%		3		0.30%		3		0.30%		0		0.00%		384		38.75%		991
	Dixon		1,478		51.95%		931		32.72%		414		14.55%		4		0.14%		15		0.53%		3		0.11%		547		19.23%		2,845
	Dodge		7,484		50.95%		5,181		35.27%		1,894		12.89%		44		0.30%		53		0.36%		32		0.22%		2,303		15.68%		14,688
	Douglas		92,334		51.38%		70,708		39.34%		14,863		8.27%		803		0.45%		603		0.34%		410		0.23%		21,626		12.04%		179,721
	Dundy		752		68.30%		224		20.35%		112		10.17%		4		0.36%		7		0.64%		2		0.18%		528		47.95%		1,101
	Fillmore		1,696		54.80%		1,058		34.18%		321		10.37%		9		0.29%		8		0.26%		3		0.10%		638		20.62%		3,095
	Franklin		1,013		59.03%		483		28.15%		215		12.53%		2		0.12%		1		0.06%		2		0.12%		530		30.88%		1,716
	Frontier		901		64.96%		310		22.35%		169		12.18%		2		0.14%		2		0.14%		3		0.22%		591		42.61%		1,387
	Furnas		1,475		61.18%		663		27.50%		207		8.59%		56		2.32%		7		0.29%		3		0.12%		812		33.68%		2,411
	Gage		4,413		44.83%		4,008		40.72%		1,346		13.67%		37		0.38%		27		0.27%		12		0.12%		405		4.11%		9,843
	Garden		851		65.61%		279		21.51%		155		11.95%		7		0.54%		3		0.23%		2		0.15%		572		44.10%		1,297
	Garfield		625		63.26%		249		25.20%		111		11.23%		3		0.30%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		376		38.06%		988
	Gosper		609		58.78%		275		26.54%		150		14.48%		1		0.10%		1		0.10%		0		0.00%		334		32.24%		1,036
	Grant		258		64.82%		84		21.11%		55		13.82%		1		0.25%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		174		43.71%		398
	Greeley		642		50.27%		472		36.96%		155		12.14%		4		0.31%		3		0.23%		1		0.08%		170		13.31%		1,277
	Hall		10,183		52.45%		6,708		34.55%		2,403		12.38%		78		0.40%		26		0.13%		18		0.09%		3,475		17.90%		19,416
	Hamilton		2,623		61.37%		1,172		27.42%		457		10.69%		17		0.40%		3		0.07%		2		0.05%		1,451		33.95%		4,274
	Harlan		1,120		60.28%		520		27.99%		203		10.93%		8		0.43%		4		0.22%		3		0.16%		600		32.29%		1,858
	Hayes		439		77.02%		87		15.26%		39		6.84%		1		0.18%		2		0.35%		2		0.35%		352		61.76%		570
	Hitchcock		977		62.27%		409		26.07%		173		11.03%		2		0.13%		5		0.32%		3		0.19%		568		36.20%		1,569
	Holt		3,436		65.27%		1,107		21.03%		677		12.86%		14		0.27%		23		0.44%		7		0.13%		2,329		44.24%		5,264
	Hooker		308		59.92%		115		22.37%		83		16.15%		3		0.58%		3		0.58%		2		0.39%		193		37.55%		514
	Howard		1,294		50.10%		853		33.02%		417		16.14%		8		0.31%		4		0.15%		7		0.27%		441		17.08%		2,583
	Jefferson		1,979		49.17%		1,520		37.76%		495		12.30%		12		0.30%		15		0.37%		4		0.10%		459		11.41%		4,025
	Johnson		1,009		47.98%		770		36.61%		309		14.69%		5		0.24%		4		0.19%		6		0.29%		239		11.37%		2,103
	Kearney		1,953		64.07%		782		25.66%		296		9.71%		12		0.39%		5		0.16%		0		0.00%		1,171		38.41%		3,048
	Keith		2,504		65.50%		830		21.71%		460		12.03%		21		0.55%		5		0.13%		3		0.08%		1,674		43.79%		3,823
	Keya Paha		385		72.10%		94		17.60%		47		8.80%		2		0.37%		6		1.12%		0		0.00%		291		54.50%		534
	Kimball		1,011		56.67%		527		29.54%		212		11.88%		24		1.35%		8		0.45%		2		0.11%		484		27.13%		1,784
	Knox		2,123		53.91%		1,266		32.15%		531		13.48%		3		0.08%		12		0.30%		3		0.08%		857		21.76%		3,938
	Lancaster		44,812		45.86%		43,339		44.36%		8,595		8.80%		486		0.50%		210		0.21%		266		0.27%		1,473		1.50%		97,708
	Lincoln		7,482		50.54%		5,165		34.89%		2,043		13.80%		71		0.48%		26		0.18%		17		0.11%		2,317		15.65%		14,804
	Logan		294		65.63%		79		17.63%		72		16.07%		1		0.22%		2		0.45%		0		0.00%		215		48.00%		448
	Loup		229		68.77%		74		22.22%		28		8.41%		2		0.60%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		155		46.55%		333
	Madison		7,965		62.97%		3,047		24.09%		1,554		12.29%		28		0.22%		41		0.32%		14		0.11%		4,918		38.88%		12,649
	McPherson		233		72.36%		50		15.53%		33		10.25%		3		0.93%		3		0.93%		0		0.00%		183		56.83%		322
	Merrick		2,084		58.67%		997		28.07%		449		12.64%		9		0.25%		8		0.23%		5		0.14%		1,087		30.60%		3,552
	Morrill		1,296		58.86%		620		28.16%		262		11.90%		13		0.59%		9		0.41%		2		0.09%		676		30.70%		2,202
	Nance		892		51.74%		585		33.93%		238		13.81%		2		0.12%		6		0.35%		1		0.06%		307		17.81%		1,724
	Nemaha		1,888		51.94%		1,232		33.89%		485		13.34%		15		0.41%		9		0.25%		6		0.17%		656		18.05%		3,635
	Nuckolls		1,383		56.01%		757		30.66%		306		12.39%		14		0.57%		8		0.32%		1		0.04%		626		25.35%		2,469
	Otoe		3,290		50.58%		2,279		35.03%		877		13.48%		28		0.43%		27		0.42%		4		0.06%		1,011		15.55%		6,505
	Pawnee		766		48.82%		580		36.97%		207		13.19%		8		0.51%		6		0.38%		2		0.13%		186		11.85%		1,569
	Perkins		1,018		66.06%		352		22.84%		163		10.58%		6		0.39%		1		0.06%		1		0.06%		666		43.22%		1,541
	Phelps		3,015		65.86%		1,071		23.39%		465		10.16%		14		0.31%		9		0.20%		4		0.09%		1,944		42.47%		4,578
	Pierce		1,923		62.39%		697		22.62%		446		14.47%		8		0.26%		5		0.16%		3		0.10%		1,226		39.77%		3,082
	Platte		7,948		64.11%		3,010		24.28%		1,353		10.91%		39		0.31%		39		0.31%		9		0.07%		4,938		39.83%		12,398
	Polk		1,504		58.84%		750		29.34%		268		10.49%		20		0.78%		4		0.16%		10		0.39%		754		29.50%		2,556
	Red Willow		3,112		62.10%		1,365		27.24%		499		9.96%		25		0.50%		3		0.06%		7		0.14%		1,747		34.86%		5,011
	Richardson		2,089		48.85%		1,517		35.48%		633		14.80%		26		0.61%		7		0.16%		4		0.09%		572		13.37%		4,276
	Rock		564		63.73%		180		20.34%		135		15.25%		4		0.45%		2		0.23%		0		0.00%		384		43.39%		885
	Saline		1,945		37.58%		2,523		48.75%		689		13.31%		12		0.23%		3		0.06%		3		0.06%		−578		−11.17%		5,175
	Sarpy		23,023		57.74%		12,806		32.11%		3,722		9.33%		157		0.39%		109		0.27%		60		0.15%		10,217		25.63%		39,877
	Saunders		4,514		52.51%		2,777		32.30%		1,223		14.23%		36		0.42%		30		0.35%		17		0.20%		1,737		20.21%		8,597
	Scotts Bluff		7,641		56.43%		4,547		33.58%		1,251		9.24%		55		0.41%		35		0.26%		12		0.09%		3,094		22.85%		13,541
	Seward		3,479		51.86%		2,432		36.25%		745		11.10%		24		0.36%		23		0.34%		6		0.09%		1,047		15.61%		6,709
	Sheridan		1,834		67.50%		573		21.09%		289		10.64%		14		0.52%		3		0.11%		4		0.15%		1,261		46.41%		2,717
	Sherman		822		49.16%		567		33.91%		266		15.91%		6		0.36%		6		0.36%		5		0.30%		255		15.25%		1,672
	Sioux		551		71.74%		138		17.97%		75		9.77%		1		0.13%		3		0.39%		0		0.00%		413		53.77%		768
	Stanton		1,457		59.64%		577		23.62%		386		15.80%		9		0.37%		10		0.41%		4		0.16%		880		36.02%		2,443
	Thayer		1,698		56.81%		933		31.21%		334		11.17%		12		0.40%		7		0.23%		5		0.17%		765		25.60%		2,989
	Thomas		303		70.63%		64		14.92%		62		14.45%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		239		55.71%		429
	Thurston		835		39.50%		962		45.51%		293		13.86%		11		0.52%		10		0.47%		3		0.14%		−127		−6.01%		2,114
	Valley		1,346		56.27%		758		31.69%		274		11.45%		4		0.17%		6		0.25%		4		0.17%		588		24.58%		2,392
	Washington		4,391		57.03%		2,248		29.19%		971		12.61%		34		0.44%		44		0.57%		12		0.16%		2,143		27.84%		7,700
	Wayne		2,150		58.49%		1,048		28.51%		440		11.97%		11		0.30%		22		0.60%		5		0.14%		1,102		29.98%		3,676
	Webster		1,094		55.96%		621		31.76%		236		12.07%		1		0.05%		1		0.05%		2		0.10%		473		24.20%		1,955
	Wheeler		241		57.66%		106		25.36%		69		16.51%		1		0.24%		1		0.24%		0		0.00%		135		32.30%		418
	York		4,266		65.56%		1,653		25.40%		559		8.59%		18		0.28%		8		0.12%		3		0.05%		2,613		40.16%		6,507
Totals	363,467	53.65%	236,761	34.95%	71,278	10.52%	2,792	0.41%	1,928	0.28%	1,189	0.18%	126,706	18.70%	677,415

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Dakota
• Thurston

See also

• United States presidential elections in Nebraska
• Presidency of Bill Clinton

Notes and References

1. Web site: 1996 Presidential General Election Results – Nebraska . Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. 2020-09-03.
2. Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016.
3. Web site: 1996 Presidential Election Statistics. Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. 2018-03-05.
4. Web site: Presidential Results by Congressional District, 2000-2008 – Swing State Project.
5. Web site: NE US President Race, November 05, 1996. Our Campaigns.