Your Guide to the Electoral College

This college doesn’t have fraternities, a football team, or even any classes: It’s just 538 people called electors from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. According to the Constitution, they’re responsible for electing the president and vice president. The winner needs a majority—at least 270—of the 538 electoral votes.

This college doesn’t have fraternities, a football team, or even any classes. It’s just 538 people called electors. They are from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. According to the Constitution, they are responsible for electing the president and vice president. The winner needs a majority, or at least 270, of the 538 electoral votes.

In 1787, when the Framers were drafting the Constitution, they wanted to establish a role for the states in national elections—in line with the idea of a federalist system of government. And they sought to protect the country from what they saw as an ill-informed populace that wasn’t prepared to directly choose the president and vice president. The Electoral College was their answer.

The Framers envisioned it as an elite group of men (no woman served as an elector until 1912) who could be trusted to select the nation’s leaders. The system was also supposed to ensure that a candidate with overwhelming support in only one part of the country—which might enable someone to win a slim majority of the popular vote nationally—wouldn’t win election against the will of the rest of the nation. In some states, the legislatures chose electors; in others, a popular vote determined them. Today each state’s political parties nominate slates of electors who have pledged to support their party’s candidates.

In 1787, the Framers were drafting the Constitution. They wanted to establish a role for the states in national elections, a key idea of a federalist system of government. They wanted to protect the country from what they felt was an ill-informed populace. They felt voters were not prepared to directly choose the president and vice president. The Electoral College was their answer.

The Framers envisioned it as an elite group of men who could be trusted to select the nation’s leaders. No woman served as an elector until 1912. The system was also supposed to ensure that a candidate with overwhelming support in only one part of the country wouldn’t win the election against how the rest of the country voted. In some states, the legislatures chose electors. In others, a popular vote determined them. Today each state’s political parties nominate groups of electors who have pledged to support their party’s candidates.

The same number as its delegation in Congress: however many seats it has in the House of Representatives (which is based on population) and the Senate (always two). For example, Florida has 28 representatives and 2 senators, so it gets 30 electoral votes.

Each state gets the same number as its delegation in Congress. The number of votes is determined by how many seats each state has in the House of Representatives (which is based on population) and the Senate (always two). For example, Florida has 28 representatives and 2 senators. That means it gets 30 electoral votes.

Technically, Americans won’t cast votes for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, or Donald Trump and J.D. Vance (even though their names appear on the ballot), but for a slate of Harris/Walz electors or Trump/Vance electors.

Technically, Americans won’t cast votes for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, or Donald Trump and J.D. Vance (even though their names appear on the ballot). They will vote for a slate of Harris/Walz electors or Trump/Vance electors.

With two exceptions (see map), states award electoral votes on a winner-takes-all basis: Whoever wins the most popular votes in a state—whether the margin of victory is 3 votes or 3 million votes—gets all of that state’s electoral votes.

With two exceptions (see map), states award electoral votes on a winner-takes-all basis. Whoever wins the most popular votes in a state gets all of that state’s electoral votes. The margin of victory can be 3 votes or 3 million votes.

On December 17, the electors representing the candidate who won their state’s popular vote will meet in their state capital and cast their votes. The results of the national election become official when the states’ electoral ballots are counted before a joint session of Congress on January 6. The winners are sworn in on Inauguration Day (January 20).

On December 17, the electors representing the candidate who won their state’s popular vote will meet in their state capital. There they will cast their votes. The results of the national election become official when the states’ electoral ballots are counted before a joint session of Congress on January 6. The winners are sworn in on Inauguration Day (January 20).

In that case, the House of Representatives elects the president, with each state getting one vote, and the Senate elects the vice president, with each senator getting one vote.

In that case, the House of Representatives elects the president. Each state gets one vote. The Senate elects the vice president. Each senator gets one vote.

Yes, and the electoral vote determines who will be president. It happened most recently in 2016, when Democrat Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but Republican Donald Trump won the electoral vote—and the White House. It’s happened three other times: in 1876, 1888, and 2000.

Yes, and the electoral vote determines who will be president. It happened most recently in 2016. Democrat Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but Republican Donald Trump won the electoral vote. It’s happened three other times: in 1876, 1888, and 2000.

It is, and some critics argue that having Americans elect a president by popular vote would be fairer and simpler. Others applaud the Electoral College system because it forces candidates to address the concerns of voters around the nation; they must think of the election not as a single contest but as 51 separate elections—and figure out how to win enough of those contests to rack up at least 270 electoral votes.

It is. Some critics argue that having Americans elect a president by popular vote would be fairer and simpler. Others applaud the Electoral College system because it forces candidates to address the concerns of voters around the nation. The candidates must think of the election not as a single race but as 51 separate elections. They have to figure out how to win enough of those contests to get at least 270 electoral votes.

Trump and Harris aren’t spending a great deal of time, or advertising dollars, in states where they’re way behind or way ahead. Instead, they’re targeting so-called “battleground states,” also known as swing states, that look close. As of press time, many analysts considered seven states still up for grabs:  Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. So if you live in California or Texas, you’re probably not seeing as many campaign ads as people in those more competitive states. In the battleground states, it may seem as though Harris and Trump have taken over your TV and social media feeds.

Trump and Harris aren’t spending a great deal of time, or advertising dollars, in states where they’re way behind or way ahead in polls of voters. Instead, they’re targeting so-called “battleground states,” also known as swing states. These are states where the race looks close. As of press time, many analysts considered seven states still up for grabs:  Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. So if you live in California or Texas, you’re probably not seeing as many campaign ads. In the battleground states, it may seem as though Harris and Trump have taken over your TV and social media feeds.