OMAHA — Nebraska Democratic party officials on Saturday voted against a plan to pledge five superdelegates toward the presidential race based on the state’s May primary, leaving no prize for Sens. Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton even though their names will appear on the ballot.

The plan would have capitalized on the Legislature’s failure to take the Democratic presidential candidates off the ballot after the party decided to hold Feb. 9 caucuses, which Obama won by a wide margin. A bill to change the law so the Secretary of State’s office could remove the Democratic presidential category from the primary ballot never made it out of committee.

So while Democratic voters in Nebraska will be able to express a preference for Obama or Clinton on the ballot in May, the votes won’t carry any weight.

“Other folks thought that the superdelegates should not have any restrictions upon them at all,’’ said Vince Powers, the national committeeman who came up with the idea for Nebraska to hold its caucuses.

“In the end they didn’t want to take away our super powers,’’ said Powers, who hoped that the plan would encourage both candidates to come to Nebraska before the May 13 primary.

Campaigns for both Clinton and Obama have fought hard for superdelegates nationwide because they could prove vital in an extremely close primary. The superdelegates, made up of party officials and Democratic officials in Congress, are allowed to vote for whomever they choose.

Powers said that even though the May primary votes wouldn’t directly count, he thought Nebraska’s superdelegates would keep an eye on the tally and consider it when making their decision.

“I think we have to pay attention to how Nebraska Democrats vote,’’ said Powers, who said an Obama win in May would reaffirm the state’s decision and temper some sentiment that caucuses work to his advantage while primaries favor Clinton.

If Clinton were to win, Powers said: “I think that would make everyone have to reconsider.’’

Nebraska has seven superdelegates. U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson is one, and he has pledged to support Obama. Another superdelegate will be elected at the state party’s convention this summer.

Of the remaining five delegates, which would have been included in the plan, Powers, national committeewoman Kathleen Fahey and Frank LeMere have all previously said they would support Obama. State party chairman Steve Achelpohl and Audra Ostergard have not publicly stated who they will support.

A telephone message left with Achelpohl on Saturday by The Associated Press was not immediately returned.

A Democratic presidential candidate hasn’t carried the state since Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

The state GOP never changed its plans, so Republicans will express their presidential preferences in May at the same time they vote on any state or local races.