Maine gives two of its four electoral votes to the statewide winner and one to the winner of each of its two congressional districts.1 Maine law provides that one presidential elector is chosen from each congressional district and two at large.2 Maine had used a district method after statehood, then switched to winner-take-all until 1972, when it returned to the district method.3 Representative S. Glenn Starbird Jr. introduced the change in January 1969; it became law that year and was first used in 1972.4
In 2016, for the first time since adopting this system, Maine's four electoral votes were split between the two major-party tickets.5 Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine won the state and the First Congressional District, while Donald Trump and Mike Pence won the Second Congressional District.6 The result was Clinton 3 and Trump 1 for president, and Kaine 3 and Pence 1 for vice president.7
Nebraska, the only other state with this system, had split for the first time in 2008, and both states split in 2020.8
Maine distributes its electoral votes proportionally by Congressional district, with two at-large electors representing the statewide winning presidential and vice presidential candidates and one elector each representing the winners from its two Congressional districts. For the first time since adopting this system, Maine's four electoral votes were split between the two major party tickets.
There were faithless votes cast for president and vice president in Hawaii, Texas, and Washington.
National Archives, Electoral College results for 2016, archives.gov, read October 3, 2026. Quoted as published.
Sources for each sentence
Each numbered entry quotes the words that support that sentence, as they appear on the linked page.
- Back to sentence 1
Maine distributes its electoral votes proportionally by Congressional district, with two at-large electors representing the statewide winning presidential and vice presidential candidates and one elector each representing the winners from its two Congressional districts.
archives.gov/electoral-college/2016 - Back to sentence 2
One presidential elector shall be chosen from each congressional district and 2 at large.
legislature.maine.gov/statutes/21-A/title21-Asec802.html - Back to sentence 3
After seceding from Massachusetts and becoming an independent state in 1820, Maine used this method through the election of 1828.
bangordailynews.com/2008/10/26/politics/why-maine-splits-its-electoral-votes Maine used this method through the election of 1828. The state then adopted the winner-take-all method employed in the rest of the country in presidential elections after that until 1972, when it resumed the congressional district method.
bangordailynews.com/2008/10/26/politics/why-maine-splits-its-electoral-votes - Back to sentence 4
Rep. S. Glenn Starbird Jr., D-Kingman, heard the cries and introduced a bill to the 104th Maine Legislature in January 1969
bangordailynews.com/2008/10/26/politics/why-maine-splits-its-electoral-votes It became law in 1969, but would not be used until the next presidential election, which was in 1972.
bangordailynews.com/2008/10/26/politics/why-maine-splits-its-electoral-votes - Back to sentence 5
For the first time since adopting this system, Maine's four electoral votes were split between the two major party tickets.
archives.gov/electoral-college/2016 - Back to sentence 6
Clinton/Kaine won in the First Congressional District and took the state; Trump/Pence won the Second Congressional District.
archives.gov/electoral-college/2016 - Back to sentence 7
for President, Clinton 3 and Trump 1; for Vice President, Kaine 3 and Pence 1.
archives.gov/electoral-college/2016 - Back to sentence 8
All States, except for Maine and Nebraska, have a winner-take-all policy where the State looks only at the overall winner of the state-wide popular vote.
archives.gov/electoral-college/allocation (and, in fact, Nebraska split in 2008, Maine split in 2016, and both split in 2020).
archives.gov/electoral-college/faq
Sources checked on October 3, 2026
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