AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Nebraska’s presidential and state primaries

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nebraskans will cast presidential primary ballots Tuesday in a reliably Republican state that could nonetheless be a decisive one in the race for the White House. Voters will also decide several contested state primaries, including the U.S. Senate, where both Republican incumbents are on the ballot.

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump should easily win their primaries, as they already unofficially secured their parties’ nominations on March 12. But Nebraska presents the latest opportunities for voters to cast protest votes against both presumptive nominees.

On the Republican side, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley continues to receive a sizable share of the vote despite ending her campaign in early March. Biden and Trump have won almost every contest this year by overwhelming margins, but the persistent protest votes with just a few weeks left in the primary season have raised questions about voter dissatisfaction with both candidates.

Biden has faced organized campaigns in several states to vote for “uncommitted” in protest of the war in Gaza. In Nebraska, though, the only options for those casting protest votes on the Democratic side are to vote for Rep. Dean Phillips or to write in a candidate, and the state only counts write-in ballots for candidates who have filed an affidavit and paid a filing fee before the election. None have done so.

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