Not all elections look the same. Here are some of the different ways states run their voting

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The U.S. wide predetermination connected Nov. 5 volition determine the country’s direction, but it is acold from a nationally administered contest. The 50 states and the District of Columbia tally their ain elections, and each does things a small differently.

Here’s a look astatine immoderate notable variations successful the 2024 election:

Maine and Nebraska allocate electoral votes by legislature district

To triumph the presidency outright, a campaigner indispensable person astatine slightest 270 of the 538 votes successful the Electoral College. In 48 states, the statewide victor gets each of that state’s electoral votes, and that's besides the lawsuit successful the nation's capital.

In Maine and Nebraska, the campaigner who receives the astir votes successful each legislature territory wins 1 electoral ballot from that district. The campaigner who wins the statewide ballot receives different two.

In 2020, Democrat Joe Biden received 3 of Maine’s 4 electoral votes due to the fact that helium won the fashionable ballot successful the authorities and its 1st Congressional District. Republican Donald Trump received 1 electoral ballot from the 2nd Congressional District. Trump won 4 of Nebraska’s 5 votes for winning the fashionable ballot successful the authorities arsenic good arsenic its 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts; Biden received 1 electoral ballot for winning the 2nd Congressional District.

Alaska and Maine usage ranked prime voting

In ranked prime voting, voters fertile candidates for an bureau successful bid of penchant connected the ballot. If nary campaigner is the archetypal prime for much than 50% of voters, the campaigner with the fewest votes is eliminated. Voters who chose that campaigner arsenic their apical prime person their votes redistributed to their adjacent choice. This continues, with the campaigner with the fewest votes getting eliminated, until idiosyncratic emerges with a bulk of votes.

Maine uses ranked prime voting successful state-level primaries and for national offices successful the wide election. That means Maine voters tin fertile presidential, Senate and House candidates connected ballots that see the Democrat and the Republican who precocious retired of their respective enactment primaries, positive third-party and autarkic candidates who qualify.

The statesmanlike ballot volition see Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris, positive 3 different candidates. In the six years since implementing ranked prime voting, the authorities has utilized it doubly successful races for Congress successful its 2nd Congressional District. The 2020 statesmanlike contention did not beforehand to ranked prime voting, with the winners of the authorities and successful each legislature territory exceeding 52% of the vote.

Alaska holds unfastened primaries for statewide offices and sends the apical 4 vote-getters, careless of party, to the wide election, wherever the victor is decided utilizing ranked prime voting. In each legislative and statewide enforcement offices, Alaskans tin fertile up to 4 names that tin see aggregate candidates from the aforesaid party.

The objection is the presidency, which is eligible for ranked prime voting successful Alaska for the archetypal time. This year, determination volition beryllium 8 statesmanlike tickets connected the ballot, and Alaskans tin fertile each candidates if they take to. The past clip the victor of the statesmanlike contention successful Alaska failed to surpass 50% of the ballot was successful 1992, erstwhile third-party campaigner Ross Perot won astir 20% of the nationalist fashionable vote.

But successful 2022, some Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola and Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski won their elections aft some went to ranked prime voting.

Another wrinkle this year? In Alaska, wherever ranked prime voting was implemented by ballot measurement successful 2020, there’s a elector inaugural connected the ballot this autumn to repeal it.

In California and Washington, candidates from the aforesaid enactment tin look off

California and Washington clasp unfastened primaries successful which each candidates tally connected the aforesaid ballot and the 2 apical vote-getters beforehand to the wide election, careless of party. This year, determination are 2 House races successful Washington that see candidates of the aforesaid party, 1 with 2 Republicans and 1 with 2 Democrats. There are 4 successful California: 3 with lone Democrats and 1 with lone Republicans.

The winning enactment successful those six districts volition beryllium reflected successful The Associated Press’ online graphic showing the equilibrium of powerfulness successful the House astatine canvass close, alternatively than erstwhile a victor is declared due to the fact that the enactment of the victor is simply a foregone conclusion.

Louisiana holds a 'primary' connected Nov. 5

Louisiana holds what it refers to arsenic its “open primaries” connected the aforesaid time the remainder of the state holds its wide election. In Louisiana, each candidates tally connected the aforesaid unfastened superior ballot. Any campaigner who earns much than 50% of the ballot successful the superior wins the spot outright.

If nary campaigner exceeds 50% of the vote, the apical 2 vote-getters beforehand to a head-to-head runoff, which tin extremity up pitting 2 Republicans oregon 2 Democrats against each other. Louisiana refers to these contests arsenic its “general election.”

That volition alteration for elections for the U.S. House starting successful 2026 erstwhile legislature races volition person earlier primaries that are unfastened lone to registered members of a party. Certain authorities races volition proceed to clasp unfastened primaries successful November, but the alteration volition forestall aboriginal members of Congress from waiting until December — a period aboriginal than the remainder of the state — to cognize whether they are headed to Washington.

Nebraska has 2 competing termination measures connected the ballot, but lone 1 tin beryllium enacted

In Nebraska, immoderate measurement that receives astir 123,000 valid signatures qualifies for the ballot. This year, 2 measures relating to termination met this threshold.

One would enshrine successful the Nebraska Constitution the close to person an termination until fetal viability oregon later, to support the wellness of the large woman. The different would constitute into the constitution the existent 12-week ban, with exceptions for rape, incest and to prevention the beingness of the large woman.

This marks the archetypal clip since the 2022 Supreme Court determination overturning Roe v. Wade that a authorities has measures that question to rotation backmost termination rights and support termination rights connected the ballot astatine the aforesaid time.

It’s imaginable voters could extremity up approving some measures. But due to the fact that they’re competing and truthful cannot some beryllium enshrined successful the constitution, the measurement with the astir “for” votes volition beryllium the 1 adopted, according to the Nebraska caput of state.

Georgia holds runoff elections if a campaigner doesn’t triumph a bulk of votes

In superior elections, a fistful of states, mostly successful the South, spell to runoffs if nary campaigner receives astatine slightest 50% of the vote. In races with much than 2 candidates, runoffs successful those states are common. Several states held superior runoffs this year.

Georgia uses the aforesaid rules successful wide elections. The past 3 Senate races determination went to runoffs due to the fact that a third-party campaigner won capable of the ballot to forestall the Republican oregon Democratic nominee from exceeding 50% of the vote.

But this year, runoff possibilities whitethorn beryllium confined to downballot races specified arsenic authorities legislature. There’s nary Senate contention determination this year, and the U.S. House races person lone 2 candidates connected the ballot.

Texas, Florida and Michigan study a batch of votes earlier last polls are closed

This is communal successful states that span aggregate clip zones. In astir states, polls adjacent astatine the aforesaid clip successful each clip zone.

The AP volition not telephone the victor of a contention earlier each the polls successful a jurisdiction are scheduled to close, adjacent if votes already reported earlier that clip marque wide who volition triumph the race. So if determination is simply a statewide contention successful a authorities wherever polls adjacent astatine 8 p.m. section time, but immoderate of the authorities is successful the Eastern clip portion and immoderate of the authorities is successful Central clip zone, the earliest the AP tin telephone the victor is 8 p.m. CST/9 p.m. EST.

The AP volition inactive amusement the results arsenic they get from counties with closed polls.

Some of the biggest states with divided canvass adjacent times are Florida, Michigan, Texas and Oregon. Tennessee is an exception, arsenic adjacent though the authorities is successful some the Eastern and the Central clip zones, each counties coordinate their voting to reason astatine the aforesaid time.