Editing United States Electoral College (section)

==== Implementation ====
Of the 44 multi-district states whose 517 electoral votes are amenable to the method, only [[Maine]] (4 EV) and [[Nebraska]] (5 EV) apply it.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college/allocation|title=Distribution of Electoral Votes|work=National Archives|date=September 19, 2019 |access-date=November 1, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/es/news/news-articles/nebraska-and-maine-split-their-electoral-vote-is-it-a-better-system-than-winner-take-all/|title=Nebraska and Maine split their electoral vote. Is it a better system than winner-take-all?|first=Elizabeth|last=Rembert|work=Nebraska Public Media|date=April 3, 2024}}</ref> Maine began using the congressional district method in the [[1972 United States presidential election|election of 1972]]. Nebraska has used the congressional district method since the [[1992 United States presidential election|election of 1992]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uselectionatlas.org/INFORMATION/INFORMATION/methods.php|title=Methods of Choosing Presidential Electors|publisher=Uselectionatlas.org|access-date=August 26, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Nebraska's Vote Change|date=April 7, 1991|newspaper=The Washington Post|first=Maralee|last=Schwartz|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1991/04/07/nebraskas-vote-change/4ef16f69-1158-4e39-9556-4e65a666d735/}}</ref> Michigan used the system for the [[1892 United States presidential election|1892 presidential election]],<ref name="autogenerated3" /><ref name="Skelley">{{cite news|last1=Skelley|first1=Geoffrey|title=What Goes Around Comes Around?|url=http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/what-goes-around-comes-around/|access-date=November 22, 2014|publisher=Sabato's Crystal Ball|date=November 20, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Lansing">{{cite news|last1=Egan|first1=Paul|title=Michigan split its electoral votes in 1892 election|url=http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/capitol/2014/11/21/michigan-split-electoral-votes-election/19367405/|access-date=November 22, 2014|publisher=Lansing State Journal|date=November 21, 2014}}</ref> and several other states used various forms of the district plan before 1840: Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Illinois, Maine, Missouri, and New York.<ref>Congressional Quarterly Books, "Presidential Elections: 1789–1996", {{ISBN|978-1-5680-2065-5}}, p. 10.</ref>

The congressional district method allows a state the chance to split its electoral votes between multiple candidates. Prior to 2008, Nebraska had never split its electoral votes, while Maine had only done so once under its previous district plan in [[1828 United States presidential election in Maine|the 1828 election]].<ref name="autogenerated3" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/04/why-nebraska-maine-congressional-district-method-could-crucial/6073983002/|title=Nebraska and Maine's district voting method could be crucial in this election. Here's why.|date=November 4, 2020|first=Savannah|last=Behrmann|work=USA Today}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.governing.com/archive/tns-maine-electors-trump-clinton.html|title=In a First Since 1828, Maine Electors Split Their Vote|work=Governing|first=Caroline|last=Cournoyer|date=December 20, 2016}}</ref> Nebraska split its electoral votes for the first time in 2008, giving John McCain its statewide electors and those of two congressional districts, while Barack Obama won the electoral vote of [[Nebraska's 2nd congressional district]], centered on the state's largest city, [[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Tysver, Robynn|title=Obama wins electoral vote in Nebraska|publisher=Omaha World Herald|date=November 7, 2008|url=http://spiffie.newsvine.com/_news/2008/11/07/2087147-obama-wins-electoral-vote-in-nebraska|access-date=November 7, 2008}}</ref> Following the 2008 split, some Nebraska Republicans made efforts to discard the congressional district method and return to the winner-takes-all system.<ref name="foxne">{{cite web|author=Molai, Nabil|title=Republicans Push to Change Electoral Vote System|publisher=KPTM Fox 42|date=October 28, 2008|url=http://www.kptm.com/Global/story.asp?S=9255487&nav=menu606_2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120516093223/http://www.kptm.com/Global/story.asp?S=9255487&nav=menu606_2|archive-date=May 16, 2012|access-date=November 4, 2008}}</ref> In January 2010, a bill was introduced in the Nebraska legislature to revert to a winner-take-all system;<ref name="billne">{{cite news|first=Jean|last=Ortiz|title=Bill targets Neb. ability to split electoral votes|agency=Associated Press|date=January 7, 2010|url=http://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_b05a487c-fbae-11de-b9c2-001cc4c002e0.html|access-date=September 8, 2011}}</ref> the bill died in committee in March 2011.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.boldnebraska.org/mccoy_fail|title=Fail: Sen. McCoy's Partisan Electoral College Bill|first=Jane|last=Kleeb|date=March 10, 2011|publisher=Bold Nebraska|access-date=August 9, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531013226/http://www.boldnebraska.org/mccoy_fail|archive-date=May 31, 2012}}</ref> Republicans had passed bills in 1995 and 1997 to do the same, which were [[Veto power in the United States|vetoed]] by Democratic Governor [[Ben Nelson]].<ref name="foxne" />

More recently, Maine split its electoral votes for the first time under the congressional district method in 2016. Hillary Clinton won its two statewide electors and its [[Maine's 1st congressional district|1st congressional district]], which covers the state's southwestern coastal region and its largest city of [[Portland, Maine|Portland]], while Donald Trump won the electoral vote of [[Maine's 2nd congressional district]], which takes in the remainder of the state and is much larger by area. In the 2020 election, both Nebraska and Maine split their electoral votes, following the same pattern of congressional district differences that were seen in 2008 and 2016 respectively: Nebraska's 2nd congressional district voted for Democrat Joe Biden while the remainder of the state voted for Republican Donald Trump; and Maine's 2nd congressional district voted for Trump while the remainder of the state voted for Biden.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.270towin.com/content/split-electoral-votes-maine-and-nebraska/|title=Split Electoral Votes in Maine and Nebraska|work=[[270toWin]]|access-date=November 1, 2024}}</ref>