WASHINGTON — Maine has a unique electoral process that is essential to understand ahead of Election Day. It is one of only two states in the U.S. that employs ranked choice voting, and it also allocates its electoral votes by both statewide results and congressional districts.

So, what exactly is ranked choice voting? Essentially, it is a system where if no candidate achieves over 50% of the votes, the candidate with the least support is eliminated. Voters who selected that candidate as their first choice then have their votes transferred to their subsequent choice. This elimination and redistribution of votes goes on until one candidate finally secures a majority.

Maine, along with Nebraska, stands out for distributing some of its electoral votes by congressional district instead of a winner-takes-all approach. The candidate securing the statewide vote in Maine will receive two electoral votes, while the remaining votes are divided based on the outcomes in Maine’s two congressional districts. Since 1992, the state has leaned toward Democratic presidential candidates. In both the 2016 and 2020 elections, Democratic nominees Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden won the statewide vote as well as the 1st Congressional District, while Republican Donald Trump took the 2nd Congressional District in both elections.

This year, the ballot also includes a contest for the U.S. Senate seat held by Independent Angus King, who is running for reelection. He will face stiff competition from Democrat David Costello, Republican Demi Kouzounas, and independent Jason Cherry. King has been a fixture in the Senate since his election in 2012.

In the 2nd Congressional District, Democratic Representative Jared Golden is fighting for a fourth term and faces a strong challenge from Republican Austin Theriault. During Golden’s last reelection in a presidential year, he captured 53% of the district’s votes, while Trump garnered 52% in the national race at that time.

As we look forward to Maine’s political landscape for the 2024 elections, it is important to remember the AP does not make projections until it is certain no outstanding possibilities could allow trailing candidates to catch up. If a race remains undecided, the AP will continue to update significant developments such as candidate concessions or victory announcements, all while clarifying that no winner has been officially declared yet.

Here are some key details about the upcoming elections in Maine:

**Election Day:** November 5.

**Poll Closing Time:** 8 p.m. ET.

**Total Presidential Electoral Votes:** Four, including two for the statewide victor and one for each congressional district winner.

**Key Races and Candidates:**

– **Presidential Race:** Kamala Harris (D) vs. Donald Trump (R) vs. Chase Oliver (Libertarian) vs. Jill Stein (Green) vs. Cornel West.

– **U.S. Senate:** Angus King (Independent) vs. David Costello (D) vs. Demi Kouzounas (R) vs. Jason Cherry (Independent).

– **2nd Congressional District:** Jared Golden (D) vs. Austin Theriault (R).

– **Ballot Measures:** Question 5, which seeks to restore the former state flag.

In addition to these key races, other contests include elections for the U.S. House, state Senate, state House, and Sagadahoc County sheriff.

Looking back, in the 2020 presidential election, Biden received 53% of the statewide votes, while Trump secured 44%. In the 2nd Congressional District, Trump triumphed with 52%, opposed to Biden’s 45%.

As of July 8, 2024, Maine has 1,152,446 registered voters, roughly comprising 34% Democrats, 28% Republicans, and 32% independents. Voter turnout in the 2020 election was approximately 72% of registered voters.

In terms of pre-Election Day voting, in 2020, around 63% of the total votes were cast ahead of time, while in 2022, that figure was approximately 36%. The percentage for 2024 will be tracked as the election approaches.

Vote counting in 2020 saw the first results reported at 8:16 p.m. ET, with about 56% of votes counted by midnight.

The upcoming elections in Maine promise to be both pivotal and engaging, attracting significant attention as voters prepare to make their choices.