Pa. GOP's Nebraska-Maine proposal

You win a state, you get all of its electoral votes — right? That’s how it works in most states, but there are two exceptions. In Maine and Nebraska, candidates can split the electoral votes. Candidates are awarded two for winning the state, and one more for each Congressional District they carry. Barack Obama, for example, won one electoral vote from Nebraska in 2008 by carrying the Omaha-based 2nd District.

Maine and Nebraska rarely get much attention because they are small states and neither is terribly competitive. If a Democrat snags a vote in Nebraska, or a Republican in Maine, it’s a sign that a landslide is on and no one cares much about or needs that extra vote.