In the United States, most states award all their presidential electoral votes to the candidate who wins the statewide popular vote. However, Nebraska and Maine have distinct rules that set them apart from the rest of the country.
Nebraska, with three congressional districts and five total electoral votes, and Maine, with two congressional districts and four total electoral votes, employ a different method. Both states allocate two electoral votes to the statewide winner and one electoral vote to the popular vote winner in each congressional district.
In the 2024 election, former President Donald Trump secured victory in Nebraska by winning the statewide vote and the 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts, earning four electoral votes. Vice President Kamala Harris claimed the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District, becoming the third Democrat to win an electoral vote from that district under this system.
Nebraska Republicans recently attempted to change state law to align with the national norm of awarding all electoral votes to the statewide winner, but the proposal was unsuccessful due to opposition from a key GOP legislator.
Maine, known for reliably voting Democratic statewide, saw a different outcome. Trump won the more conservative 2nd Congressional District, securing its electoral vote for the third consecutive election. Harris, on the other hand, won the statewide vote and the 1st Congressional District, earning Maine's remaining three electoral votes.
For a candidate to win the presidency, they must secure at least 270 out of the 538 total electoral votes.
These unique electoral systems in Nebraska and Maine could potentially play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the presidential election, as seen in the 2024 race.
