Electoral system
The term electoral system can refer to the method by which elections are conducted (e.g., whether officials are elected in single-winner versus multi-winner systems) or the method by which votes are tallied to determine the outcome of an election (e.g., plurality systems, majority systems, ranked-choice voting systems, etc.). In the United States, most federal and state-level officials are elected via plurality vote in single-winner elections, although some jurisdictions (e.g., cities, school boards, etc.) employ alternative electoral systems.
See the sections below for additional information on the following topics:
- Background: This section defines and describes methods for conducting elections, including single-winner systems and multi-winner systems. This section also defines and describes various vote-tallying methods, including plurality voting, majority voting, ranked-choice voting, block voting, single voting, and cumulative voting.
- Electoral systems used for federal-level elections: This section outlines the electoral systems used in federal elections (i.e., elections for president and United States senators and representatives).
- Electoral systems used for state-level elections: This section outlines the electoral systems employed in state-level elections (i.e., elections for state legislators, governors, and other state executives).
- State legislation: This section lists state legislation relevant to electoral systems policy, including bills designed to alter electoral systems (e.g., adopt ranked-choice voting, determine winners via majority vote instead of plurality vote, etc.).
Background
The term electoral system can refer to two distinct, yet related, concepts: the method for conducting elections and the method for tallying votes to determine electoral outcomes.
Methods for conducting elections
Generally speaking, elections can take one of two basic forms: single-winner or multi-winner. In a single-winner election, one candidate alone can be elected to the office in question. In a multi-winner election, by contrast, multiple candidates can be elected to the same office.[1][2]
- A single-winner system is one in which one candidate is elected for an office. Elections for the presidency of the United States are single-winner contests; because the United States Constitution provides for a single chief executive, no more than one person can serve in that capacity at any given moment. Elections for the United States House of Representatives are also single-winner contests, as each district is permitted to elect a single representative.[1][2]
- A multi-winner system is one in which multiple candidates are elected to an office. Elections for at-large city council seats are sometimes multi-winner contests. For example, there may be three at-large council seats up for election in a given year. In some of these elections, voters are asked to select up to three choices on their ballots. The top three vote-getters win election to the at-large seats. Some state legislative chambers in the United States use multi-member districts, which elect multiple members. Proportional representation systems are a specific class of multi-winner systems in which offices are allocated to candidates or political parties in proportion to their share of the total vote.[1][2][3]
Methods for tallying votes to determine electoral outcomes
Single-winner system methods
Vote-tallying methods for single-winner election systems include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Plurality voting system: In plurality systems, the candidate who wins the largest share of the vote wins the election. The candidate need not win an outright majority to be elected. These systems are sometimes referred to as first-past-the-post or winner-take-all.[1][3]
- Majority voting system: In majority systems, a candidate must win at least 50 percent of the vote in order to win the election. In the event that no candidate wins an outright majority, a runoff election is held between the top two vote-getters. For this reason, majority systems are sometimes referred to as two-round systems.[1][3]
- Single-winner ranked-choice voting system: In a single-winner ranked-choice voting system, voters rank candidates by preference on their ballots. If a candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, he or she is declared the winner. If no candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated. Votes cast for the eliminated candidate are transferred to second-preference choices (if a ballot lists only the eliminated candidate, the vote is considered exhausted and is removed from future tallies). A new tally is conducted to determine whether any remaining candidate has won a majority of the remaining votes. The process is repeated until a candidate wins an outright majority. This system is sometimes referred to as an instant-runoff system.[1][4]
Multi-winner system methods
Vote-tallying methods for multi-winner election systems include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Block voting system: In a block voting system, a voter can select as many candidates as there are open seats. The candidates with the greatest number of votes are elected. If, for example, there are three at-large city council seats up for election and six candidates for those seats, the top three vote-getters would win election to those seats.[1]
- Single voting system: In a single voting system, each voter can select one candidate, regardless of the number of open seats. The candidates with the greatest number of votes are elected (for example, if there are three open seats, the three candidates with the greatest number of votes will win the election).[1]
- Cumulative voting: In a cumulative voting system, each voter can cast a number of votes equal to the number of seats up for election. A voter can allocate all of these votes to a single candidate or distribute them among several candidates. If, for example, there are three city council seats up for election, a voter can cast all three of those votes for a single candidate or split them among the three candidates (e.g., casting two votes for one candidate and one for another, etc.). The candidates with the highest number of votes win.[1]
Electoral systems used for federal-level elections
Presidential elections
Article II, Section 1, of the United States Constitution provides that the President of the United States is elected by the Electoral College via majority vote in a single-winner election. Of the 50 states, all but two award all of their presidential electors to the presidential candidate who wins a plurality of the vote in the state (Maine and Nebraska each award two of their electors to the candidate who wins a plurality of the statewide vote; the remaining electors are allocated to the winners of the plurality vote in the states' congressional districts).[5]
Congressional elections
Article I, Section 4, of the United States Constitution grants the states the authority to determine the rules by which they elect their United States Senators and Representatives, unless the United States Congress acts to change those rules:[6]
| “ | The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators.[7] | ” |
| —Article I, Section 4, of the United States Constitution | ||
In every state, United States Senators and United States Representatives are elected in single-winner elections. Of the 50 states, 46 determine winners in congressional elections via plurality vote. Georgia and Louisiana determine winners by majority vote. Maine and Alaska use ranked-choice voting. To learn more about Maine's ranked-choice voting initiative, see here.[8]
Electoral systems used for state-level elections
State legislatures
A total of 40 states conduct only single-winner contests for state legislative elections. The remaining 10 states utilize multi-winner contests in elections for at least one chamber's legislators. Of the 50 states, 47 determine winners in state legislative elections via plurality vote. Georgia and Louisiana determine winners by majority vote. Maine and Alaska use ranked-choice voting.
Gubernatorial elections
In all 50 states, gubernatorial elections are conducted as single-winner contests. Of the 50 states, 45 determine winners in gubernatorial elections via plurality vote. Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi determine winners by majority vote. Maine and Alaska use ranked-choice voting.
| State | Vote tabulation method |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Plurality |
| Alaska | Ranked-choice voting |
| Arizona | Plurality |
| Arkansas | Plurality |
| California | Plurality |
| Colorado | Plurality |
| Connecticut | Plurality |
| Delaware | Plurality |
| Florida | Plurality |
| Georgia | Majority |
| Hawaii | Plurality |
| Idaho | Plurality |
| Illinois | Plurality |
| Indiana | Plurality |
| Iowa | Plurality |
| Kansas | Plurality |
| Kentucky | Plurality |
| Louisiana | Majority |
| Maine | Ranked-choice voting |
| Maryland | Plurality |
| Massachusetts | Plurality |
| Michigan | Plurality |
| Minnesota | Plurality |
| Mississippi | Majority |
| Missouri | Plurality |
| Montana | Plurality |
| Nebraska | Plurality |
| Nevada | Plurality |
| New Hampshire | Plurality |
| New Jersey | Plurality |
| New Mexico | Plurality |
| New York | Plurality |
| North Carolina | Plurality |
| North Dakota | Plurality |
| Ohio | Plurality |
| Oklahoma | Plurality |
| Oregon | Plurality |
| Pennsylvania | Plurality |
| Rhode Island | Plurality |
| South Carolina | Plurality |
| South Dakota | Plurality |
| Tennessee | Plurality |
| Texas | Plurality |
| Utah | Plurality |
| Vermont | Plurality |
| Virginia | Plurality |
| Washington | Plurality |
| West Virginia | Plurality |
| Wisconsin | Plurality |
| Wyoming | Plurality |
The table below includes state legislation related to electoral systems introduced during (or carried over to) the current year's legislative session. The following information is included for each bill:
- State
- Bill number
- Official bill name or caption
- Most recent action date
- Legislative status
- Sponsor party
- Topics dealt with by the bill
Bills are organized by state and then by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.
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See also
Select a state on the map below to read more about electoral systems in that state.
- Electoral systems legislation in the United States, 2025
- Electoral systems on the ballot
- Ranked-choice voting (RCV)
- Academic studies on RCV
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 FairVote, "Electoral Systems," accessed July 7, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 International Political Science Review, "Choosing Electoral Systems: Proportional, Majoritarian and Mixed Systems," July 1997
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Georgetown University, "Electoral Systems," accessed July 7, 2017
- ↑ MinneapolisMN.gov, "Frequently Asked Questions about Ranked-Choice Voting," accessed July 7, 2017
- ↑ United States Constitution, "Article II, Section 1," accessed July 7, 2017
- ↑ United States Constitution, "Article I, Section 4," accessed July 7, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ FairVote, "Electoral Systems in the United States," accessed July 7, 2017
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 A candidate must win at least 50 percent of the vote in order to win the election. In the event that no candidate wins an outright majority, a runoff election is held between the top two vote-getters.
