Imagine you're hosting a massive potluck dinner with all 50 states as guests. Most states are quite straightforward—they each bring one big pizza to share with everyone. But then there’s Nebraska and Maine, who like to mix things up.
Most of the public who don’t follow the US Presidential Elections in detail thinks that all State winners are elected in the same manner…i.e. the candidate that wins the most votes in a State wins that State (aka “winner-takes-all” system). This is true for 48 of the States but does not apply to Nebraska and Maine.
Nebraska and Maine use what is known as a “Split Voting” system. If you have never heard about this, don’t worry, most Americans have not heard about it either. Let me try to explain what it means.
Let’s try to understand this better using an actual example. This is what happened in 2020 Presidential Elections:
Trump carried Nebraska by 19 points on Election Day. But, in a safe “Red” state, Biden was still able to flip the 2nd district. Trump received the state's other four electoral votes.
On election day, Biden carried Maine at-large by nine percentage points and the 1st congressional district by 23 percentage points, garnering three electoral votes. However, the rural 2nd district backed Trump, giving him one electoral vote.
Where most states go all in with their electoral votes, Nebraska and Maine march to the beat of their own drum. Splitting their votes between districts and the statewide winner, these two states ensure that every vote counts in more ways than one. Is it a better system than winner-takes-all? There are pros and cons on both sides…but it does keep things interesting. Who knows, 2024 election results might come to that one split vote in Nebraska or Maine!
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