Who votes for the Heisman Trophy? How college football's top award is determined

The Heisman Memorial Trophy will be handed out on Dec. 14 in New York City and is awarded to the "outstanding college football player in the United States whose performance epitomizes great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work."

This has recently been a quarterback-dominated award, as there have been 20 winners at that position since the turn of the century, including the past three winners, Bryce Young of Alabama, Southern California's Caleb Williams, and Jayden Daniels of LSU.

Who votes for the Heisman Trophy?

This year, the voting for the Heisman Trophy, presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust, consists of 928 votes: 145 media votes from each of the six voting regions, totaling 870, with 57 coming from former Heisman winners (who are not obligated to cast a ballot) and one fan vote.

The six voting regions are:

• Far West: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

• Mid Atlantic: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Carolina, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia, West Virginia

• Midwest: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin

• Northeast: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York City, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont

• South: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee

• Southwest: Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas

Each voter can choose up to three players on their ballot for the Heisman. The first choice is worth three points in the final tabulation, the second choice is worth two points, and the third choice gets one point.

Representatives from the accounting firm Deloitte count the votes, and the four highest vote-getters are announced as finalists before the player with the highest vote total is awarded the trophy on Dec. 14.

How to watch the 2024 Heisman Trophy ceremony

The 2024 Heisman Trophy ceremony will air on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET on Dec. 14. It can be streamed on ESPN+.

Who are the 2024 Heisman Trophy finalists?

This year's Heisman finalists are as follows:

• Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel

• Colorado WR/DB Travis Hunter

• Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty

• Miami QB Cam Ward

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who votes for Heisman Trophy? How award finalists, winners are chosen