Lincoln, Nebraska — Presidential Election Results

Lincoln, Nebraska has voted Republican in 7 of the last 7 presidential elections on record (2000–2024). In 2024, it was 35.1 pts more Rep. than Nebraska overall.

Jump to year: 2000 · 2004 · 2008 · 2012 · 2016 · 2020 · 2024

Full Election History, 2000–2024

Year Winner Party Votes Vote Share Margin Total Votes Cast Swing Vs. Nebraska
2000 George W. Bush Republican 9,220 61.0% 26.6 pts (4,015 votes) 15,114 — 2.5 pts more Dem.
2004 George W. Bush Republican 11,056 68.3% 38.0 pts (6,151 votes) 16,199 -10.7 pts 4.8 pts more Rep.
2008 John McCain Republican 10,817 66.5% 35.5 pts (5,771 votes) 16,277 +2.2 pts 21.2 pts more Rep.
2012 Mitt Romney Republican 10,728 68.5% 40.1 pts (6,278 votes) 15,655 -5.0 pts 19.1 pts more Rep.
2016 Donald Trump Republican 12,164 75.4% 57.3 pts (9,251 votes) 16,131 -20.0 pts 34.3 pts more Rep.
2020 Donald J Trump Republican 13,071 76.4% 54.8 pts (9,379 votes) 17,107 +5.4 pts 36.4 pts more Rep.
2024 Donald J Trump Republican 12,674 77.0% 55.2 pts (9,088 votes) 16,464 +0.1 pts 35.1 pts more Rep.

Population Context

Total Census Bureau population estimate for the county that year, and recorded votes as a share of that total population. This is a population-based figure, not a turnout rate against eligible or registered voters, which this site does not calculate.

Year County Population Votes Cast (% of Population)
2000 34,660 43.6% of population
2004 35,177 46.0% of population
2008 36,301 44.8% of population
2012 35,973 43.5% of population
2016 35,487 45.5% of population
2020 34,535 49.5% of population
2024 33,319 49.4% of population

Trend

Between 2000 and 2024, the two-party presidential margin in Lincoln shifted 28.1 points toward the Republican candidate, based on recorded county returns. This reflects the vote totals in this dataset only; no claim is made here about the causes of that shift.

Margin Over Time

Democratic candidate's margin (percentage points, two-party vote share). Positive values favor the Democratic candidate; negative values favor the Republican candidate.

2000: R+27.8 pts 2004: R+38.5 pts 2008: R+36.4 pts 2012: R+41.4 pts 2016: R+61.4 pts 2020: R+56.0 pts 2024: R+55.9 pts 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024

Bellwether Status

Lincoln has matched the national popular winner in 4 of the last 7 presidential elections (57%), and Nebraska's own statewide winner in 7 of 7 (100%). Compare every county on the bellwether counties page.

Related Pages

Other Nebraska Counties

Frequently Asked Questions

How has Lincoln voted in presidential elections since 2000?

Since 2000, Lincoln has voted Democratic in 0 of 7 recorded presidential elections and Republican in 7 of 7, based on county-level returns through 2024.

What was the closest presidential election in Lincoln?

Lincoln's closest recorded margin was in 2000, when George W. Bush (Republican) won by 27.8 points (4,015 votes) out of 15,114 total votes cast.

Has Lincoln ever flipped between parties?

Not in the 2000-2024 record on this page -- Lincoln has voted for the same party in every recorded presidential election in that span.

What is the largest presidential election margin recorded in Lincoln?

The widest margin on record for Lincoln was in 2016, when Donald Trump (Republican) won by 61.4 points.

How many votes were cast in Lincoln relative to its population?

In 2024, 16,464 votes were recorded in Lincoln against a total population of 33,319 (49.4% of the total population). This is a population-based figure, not a turnout rate against eligible or registered voters, which this site does not calculate.

Is Lincoln a presidential bellwether county?

Lincoln has matched the national popular winner in 4 of the last 7 presidential elections (57%), and Nebraska's own statewide winner in 7 of 7 (100%).