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The process of electing the President of the United States involves a system called the Electoral College. This system assigns a certain number of electoral votes to each state based on its population. The candidate who wins the majority of electoral votes becomes the President.
Electoral Votes and States
Each state has a specific number of electoral votes, which equals its total number of Senators and Representatives in Congress. For example, larger states like California have more electoral votes than smaller states like Delaware. The total number of electoral votes is 538.
How Votes Are Cast
During the presidential election, voters in each state cast their ballots for their preferred candidate. In most states, the candidate who wins the popular vote in that state receives all of its electoral votes. This is known as a “winner-takes-all” system.
Deciding the President
A candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes out of 538 to win the presidency. If no candidate reaches this majority, the House of Representatives chooses the President from the top three candidates. The Senate elects the Vice President.
- Electoral votes are based on state populations.
- Most states award all electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote.
- A candidate needs 270 votes to win.
- If no candidate reaches 270, the House decides the President.