2020 United States presidential election in Maine

2020 United States presidential election in Maine

← 2016 November 3, 2020 2024 →
Turnout78% (Increase5.47 pp)
 
Nominee Joe Biden Donald Trump
Party Democratic Republican
Home state Delaware Florida
Running mate Kamala Harris Mike Pence
Electoral vote 3 1
First round 435,072 360,737
Percentage 53.09% 44.02%


President before election

Donald Trump
Republican

Elected President

Joe Biden
Democratic

The 2020 United States presidential election in Maine was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, as part of the 2020 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated.[1] Maine voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, incumbent President Donald Trump, and running mate Vice President Mike Pence against Democratic Party nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, and his running mate California Senator Kamala Harris. Maine has four electoral votes in the Electoral College.[2] Unlike all other states except Nebraska, Maine awards two electoral votes based on the statewide vote, and one vote for each congressional district.

On election day, Biden carried Maine at-large by nine percentage points and the 1st congressional district by 23 percentage points, garnering three electoral votes. However, the rural 2nd district backed Trump by more than seven percentage points, giving him one electoral vote.[3] This was the same result as 2016, and as such marked only the second time since 1828 that Maine split its electoral votes. Also this is the first time since 1828 where the candidate who win of election and the national popular at the same time didn't receive all Maine electoral votes. Finally, it's also the first election where ME-2 didn't vote for the winner of election and the winner of the national popular at the same time while ME-1 and Maine at large did the opposite.

Maine became the first state to use ranked-choice voting for a presidential general election, with voters able to rank their preferred candidates on the ballot.[4] Majorities were reached in the first round of voting statewide and in each congressional district, so ranked-choice voting tabulation was not required.[5]

Biden performed strongly with college-educated[6] voters to win Maine.[7] Maine weighed in for this election as 5% more Democratic than the national average.

  1. ^ Kelly, Ben (August 13, 2018). "US elections key dates: When are the 2018 midterms and the 2020 presidential campaign?". The Independent. Archived from the original on August 2, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  2. ^ "Distribution of Electoral Votes". National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  3. ^ "Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions, Elections and Voting, Results, 2014 Tabulations". State.me.us. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  4. ^ Thistle, Scott (September 6, 2019). "Gov. Mills allows ranked-choice voting in Maine's presidential elections". Press Herald. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  5. ^ "A Timeline of Ranked-choice Voting in Maine" (PDF). Maine Department of the Secretary of State.
  6. ^ "Maine 2020 President exit polls". www.cnn.com. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  7. ^ Staff, N. P. R. (November 3, 2020). "Maine Live Election Results 2020". NPR. Retrieved November 2, 2022.