What is the Electoral College? What you need to know, in 500 words | 2024 US Election News

THE EXPLANATOR

In the US, presidential elections are decided by a state-based electoral system. Here’s what you need to know.

It is at the heart of how presidential elections in the United States are decided. But for many, the Electoral College is an enigma, shrouded in mystery, shrouded in mystery.

It doesn’t have to be confusing, though.

To understand the Electoral College system, you must first know that US presidents are elected by the national popular vote: the total number of votes each person receives.

Instead, a group of 538 people called “electors” choose the president. These electors form the Electoral College.

Who are these voters?

Before the election, political parties in each state choose a slate of voters: the actual people who end up voting for the president. Usually, voters are party officials or supporters.

Each state receives the same number of electors as it has representatives in the US House of Representatives and the US Senate.

For example, Michigan receives 15 Electoral College votes. That equates to two senators and 13 House members representing the state in Congress.

Now that we know who these voters are and how many represent each state, how are their votes allocated? Here’s where it gets interesting.

In almost every state across the US, the presidential candidate who gets the most votes wins all of that state’s electors: It’s a winner-take-all system. Even if a candidate wins a district by a narrow margin, they still get all the voters.

The outliers are Maine and Nebraska, which assign their electors based on a more complex system that reflects the popular vote at the state and congressional district levels.

The District of Columbia – which is not a state but includes the nation’s capital – also receives three Electoral College votes.

But here’s the most important part: To win the White House, a presidential candidate must win the support of a majority of voters.

So out of 538 Electoral College votes, they need at least 270 to win.

Voters finally went to the polls in December, about a month after the election.

Their votes are then confirmed by Congress in early January, when the president is confirmed and takes office.

What does all this mean?

Effectively, to win the US presidency, a candidate must win support in key states to reach that magical Electoral College number of 270.

Under this system, the candidate who wins the popular vote – the most votes in total across the US – is more likely to win the White House.

Another recent example occurred in 2016, when Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but lost the election to Donald Trump. His victory was boosted by victories in states like Florida and Pennsylvania, each of which provides at least 20 Electoral College votes.

The Electoral College system was designed, in fact, to ensure the political power of the states.

Some Americans say the Electoral College should be abolished to allow more people to vote. Some say the system ensures that populous states do not overshadow smaller ones, thereby promoting minority representation in US democracy.