Omaha neighborhood sees quiet lawn sign battle between red and blue dots

October 8

In the heart of an Omaha neighborhood is a sea of blue dots painted on lawn signs.

Local resident Jason Brown and his wife, Ruth, first thought of the idea this summer and began spray painting them one at a time. At first, they debated putting words over the dot, but quickly decided to keep it simple.

“Two hundred went to 400 went to 1,000 went to 1,800,” Ruth said.

Nebraska awards electoral votes by congressional district, and Omaha is at the heart of the state’s second district. If Vice President Kamala Harris wins there, she will carry one electoral vote from deeply red Nebraska — literally a blue dot.

Neighbors swiftly took notice of the signs and asked for their own, which the Browns happily supplied.

“We had no campaign, no publicity or anything. It was just happening word of mouth,” Jason said.

Across the street, Tim Conn saw an opportunity to accelerate production. His wife Karen is a vital cog in the blue dot machinery.

“The ultimate goal is elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz,” Conn said.

One blue dot has become a blue washing of the entire area, with more than 10,000 signs and new events added daily.

These signs occupy a grand visual tradition in American politics. Some date back to the mid-nineteenth century and litter any available patch of grass during election season. Each sign can represent up to 6, sometimes 10 votes, according to some estimates.

Recently, former President Donald Trump pressured the Nebraska legislature to change how it allocated electoral votes and make the state a winner-take-all state. Republican Senator Mike McDonnell was against the proposal.

When asked if his stance could mean that Harris wins by just one electoral vote, McDonnell said, “That’s democracy.”

He continued, “I’m okay with practicing democracy.”

Around the same time, Republican Ellen Ehlers came up with her own response to the blue dot — a red dot with a yellow flourish of Trumpian hair.

“All of a sudden [the blue dots] just were multiplying overnight and we’re surrounded as you can see. We thought we’d be brave and put a red dot,” Ehlers said.

Despite differing politics, Ehlers said there haven’t been any issues in the neighborhood

Ruth Huebner Brown agrees.

“People are ready, I think, to move towards a more positive tone in our nation. And I think this has been a very positive tone,” Ruth said.

Demonstrating a kind of “Nebraska nice,” it’s a sentiment that can be found right in the heart of dots — both blue and red.

Major Garrett

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Major Garrett is CBS News’ chief Washington correspondent. He’s also the host of “The Takeout,” a weekly multi-platform interview show on politics, policy and pop culture.

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