Nebraska and Maine split their electoral votes. Here's how it worked

Get the facts on the electoral college. The electoral college is made up of 538 electors. That's the same number as members of Congress. 435 for members of the House of Representatives, 100 for the Senate and DC gets three, *** presidential candidate needs 270 of those votes to win the White House. Each candidate running for president has their own group of electors in each state that's called *** slate. These slates are usually political insiders nominated by the state's Democratic and Republican parties. Most states have *** winner take all system that awards all electors to the presidential candidate who wins the state's popular vote. But two states, Maine and Nebraska divvy up their electors by congressional districts rather than statewide. This system was *** compromise for our founding fathers. Some wanted popular elections for president and others wanted to have Congress decide but that was almost 250 years ago. So why do we still have it today? Well, some say the electoral college forces political parties to pay attention to the whole country without it. Candidates could just focus on cities with lots of people and lots of votes and literally fly over rural America when it comes to campaigning and policies. But the flip side is now, candidates can focus instead on so called swing states wooing those voters to win their electoral college votes. The electoral college meets in December and those presidential votes are counted and certified in *** joint session of Congress on the sixth of January when the next president and vice president are formally declared winners, helping you get the facts. I'm Jackie Defusco.

Forty-eight states and Washington, D.C., award all their presidential electoral votes to the candidate who wins statewide.Then there's Nebraska and Maine.Both states split their electoral votes between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election using rules that set them apart from the rest of the country.Video above: Get the facts on the Electoral CollegeThe two states each award two electoral votes to the winner of the statewide vote, as well as one electoral vote to the popular vote winner in each congressional district. Nebraska has three congressional districts and five total electoral votes, while Maine has two congressional districts and four total electoral votes.Trump won statewide in Nebraska, as well as in the 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts, picking up four electoral votes. Harris carried the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District and its electoral vote. She is the third Democrat to win an electoral vote from the 2nd District under this system, after Barack Obama in 2008 and President Joe Biden in 2020.If Harris were to win Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and lose every other battleground state, she would need the electoral vote from Nebraska's 2nd District to win the presidency.Earlier this year, some Nebraska Republicans tried to change state law to award all its electoral votes to the statewide winner as the rest of the country does. The effort failed when a key GOP state legislator came out against the plan.Maine votes reliably Democratic in statewide elections, but Republicans are competitive in the more conservative 2nd Congressional District. Trump won the district and its electoral vote for the third consecutive election, while Harris picked up Maine's remaining three electoral votes by winning statewide and the 1st Congressional District.A candidate must win at least 270 out of 538 electoral votes to win the White House.

Forty-eight states and Washington, D.C., award all their presidential electoral votes to the candidate who wins statewide.

Then there's Nebraska and Maine.

Both states split their electoral votes between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election using rules that set them apart from the rest of the country.

Video above: Get the facts on the Electoral College

The two states each award two electoral votes to the winner of the statewide vote, as well as one electoral vote to the popular vote winner in each congressional district. Nebraska has three congressional districts and five total electoral votes, while Maine has two congressional districts and four total electoral votes.

Trump won statewide in Nebraska, as well as in the 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts, picking up four electoral votes. Harris carried the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District and its electoral vote. She is the third Democrat to win an electoral vote from the 2nd District under this system, after Barack Obama in 2008 and President Joe Biden in 2020.

If Harris were to win Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and lose every other battleground state, she would need the electoral vote from Nebraska's 2nd District to win the presidency.

Earlier this year, some Nebraska Republicans tried to change state law to award all its electoral votes to the statewide winner as the rest of the country does. The effort failed when a key GOP state legislator came out against the plan.

Maine votes reliably Democratic in statewide elections, but Republicans are competitive in the more conservative 2nd Congressional District. Trump won the district and its electoral vote for the third consecutive election, while Harris picked up Maine's remaining three electoral votes by winning statewide and the 1st Congressional District.

A candidate must win at least 270 out of 538 electoral votes to win the White House.

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