The Electoral College is made up of 538 electors who vote to decide the President and Vice-President of the United States. When voters go to the polls, they will choose which candidate receives their state's electors. The candidate who receives a majority of electoral votes (270) wins. The number 538 is the total of the nation's 435 Representatives, 100 Senators, and three electors given to the District of Columbia.
Every four years, voters go to the polls and select a candidate for President and Vice-President. In all but two states, the candidate who wins the majority of votes in a state wins that state's electoral votes. In Nebraska and Maine, electoral votes are chosen by proportional representation, the top vote-getter in those states wins two electoral votes, while the remaining electoral votes are allocated congressional district by congressional district. These rules make it possible for both candidates to have electoral votes from Nebraska and Maine. This process differs from state to state. Sometimes, political parties nominate electors at their state conventions, that process occurs by a vote of the party's central committee. The electors are usually state-elected officials,
…show more content…
House of Representatives. The top three contenders face off with each state casting one vote. Whoever wins a majority of states wins the election. The process is the same for the Vice Presidency, except that the U.S. Senate makes that selection. The Electoral College determines the President and Vice-President of the United States. The Electoral College system also distinguishes the United States from other systems where the highest vote-getter automatically wins. This so-called "indirect election" process has been the subject of criticism and attempted reform, though proponents of it maintain that it ensures the rights of smaller states and stands as an important piece of American federalist