Each jurisdiction is responsible for boundaries of annual conferences within those states and electing its own bishops.
While Central conferences—groups of annual conferences in Africa, Europe and the Philippines—follow similar procedures to elect and assign bishops, some meet in different years.
Within each jurisdiction a committee on episcopacy (one clergy and one lay person from each annual conference) reviews the bishops' work and assigns them to their areas.
Any United Methodist ordained elder may be elected bishop by any jurisdictional conference.
This ensures that no bishop is serving under appointment beyond their 72nd Birthday (which is currently the age of Mandatory Retirement in the UMC).