The upcoming US general election on November 5 will be pivotal for the nation, determining its direction for the coming years. However, this national contest is not a single unified event. The election process differs significantly across the 50 states and Washington D.C., each of which administers its own rules and systems. From unique vote allocations in Maine and Nebraska to ranked-choice voting in Alaska and Maine, the variations in state-specific practices highlight the diversity of the electoral landscape.
While most states operate under a winner-takes-all system in which the candidate with the most statewide votes secures all of that state’s electoral votes, Maine and Nebraska stand out. These states assign electoral votes by congressional district: the winner of each district receives one electoral vote, with two additional votes going to the statewide winner. For example, in 2020, Maine awarded Democrat Joe Biden three out of its four electoral votes, while one electoral vote went to Republican Donald Trump. Similarly, Nebraska allocated four of its five electoral votes to Trump and one to Biden.
Alaska and Maine also utilize ranked-choice voting (RCV) in state and federal elections, a system allowing voters to rank candidates by preference. In cases where no candidate wins more than 50% of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and votes are redistributed to the remaining candidates. Maine has implemented RCV in federal races, including presidential, Senate, and House elections, while Alaska uses it for all legislative and statewide offices. This year marks Alaska’s first presidential election under RCV, with eight candidates appearing on the ballot.
On November 5, Louisiana will conduct an “open primary,” where all candidates appear on the ballot regardless of party affiliation. If any candidate secures more than 50% of the vote, they are declared the winner. If no candidate reaches this threshold, the top two contenders advance to a runoff. Changes starting in 2026 will restrict this open primary system for U.S. House races, moving to earlier party-specific primaries.
California and Washington also use a unique system where the top two candidates from an open primary advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation. This often results in contests between candidates of the same party, as seen this year in six House districts across the two states. The Associated Press will report these races based on party affiliations, as outcomes are largely predetermined in these cases.
Georgia’s runoff system kicks in if no candidate earns over 50% of the vote in a general election. This process has historically led to runoff elections in tightly contested races, particularly for Senate seats, although this year’s runoffs are likely limited to state legislative races due to a lack of third-party candidates.
Nebraska voters face two contrasting abortion measures on the ballot, one seeking to protect the right to abortion until fetal viability, the other aiming to enshrine a 12-week ban with specific exceptions. If both pass, only the measure with the most “for” votes will be enacted.
States with multiple time zones, like Florida, Michigan, Texas, and Oregon, can release early results from regions with earlier poll closures. While early vote counts are released from closed precincts, winners will not be called by the AP until all polls close in each state.
