The United States uses a system called the electoral college to elect presidents. Under this method, the candidate with the most votes nationwide doesn’t necessarily win the election, which was the case in 2016 with Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump and in 2000 with George W. Bush and Al Gore. (lt also happened three times in the 19th century.)
Each state is given a number of electors based on the size of its congressional delegation. The candidate who wins a majority of electors becomes president.
One electoral vote
NH
ME
VT
NY
MA
WI
MI
ND
RI
CT
WA
SD
PA
MN
OR
MT
OH
IL
NE
ID
WY
WV
NJ
IN
NV
IA
UT
MD
KS
KY
CA
MO
VA
AZ
DC
DE
OK
NM
TN
AR
NC
AL
MS
GA
LA
SC
TX
FL
AK
HI
One electoral vote
NH
ME
VT
NY
MA
WI
MI
ND
RI
CT
WA
PA
SD
MN
OR
MT
OH
IL
NE
ID
WY
WV
NJ
NV
IN
IA
UT
MD
KS
KY
CA
MO
VA
AZ
DC
DE
OK
NM
TN
AR
NC
AL
MS
GA
LA
SC
TX
FL
AK
HI
Mont. 3
N.D. 3
Vt.
3
N.H.
4
Maine
4
N.Y.
29
Mass.
11
Wis.
10
Mich.
16
R.I.
4
Conn.
7
Wash.
12
Pa.
20
S.D. 3
Ore.
7
Minn.
10
Ind.
11
Ohio
18
Ill.
20
Wyo.
3
Idaho
4
Neb.
5
N.J.
14
Nev.
6
W.Va.
5
Iowa
6
Ky.
8
Utah
6
Colo.
9
Md.
10
Kansas
6
Mo.
10
Calif.
55
Ariz.
11
Va.
13
Del.
3
D.C.
3
Okla.
7
N.M.
5
Tenn.
11
Ark.
6
N.C.
15
Ala.
9
Ga.
16
Miss.
6
Texas
38
S.C.
9
La.
8
Fla.
29
One electoral vote
Alaska
3
Hawaii
4
One electoral vote
Vt.
3
N.H.
4
Maine
4
N.Y.
29
Mass.
11
Wis.
10
Mich.
16
R.I.
4
N.D. 3
Conn.
7
Wash.
12
Pa.
20
S.D. 3
Minn.
10
Ore.
7
Mont. 3
Ind.
11
Ohio
18
Ill.
20
Wyo.
3
Idaho
4
Neb.
5
N.J.
14
Nev.
6
W.Va.
5
Iowa
6
Ky.
8
Utah
6
Colo.
9
Md.
10
Kansas
6
Mo.
10
Calif.
55
Ariz.
11
Va.
13
D.C.
3
Del.
3
Okla.
7
N.M.
5
Tenn.
11
Ark.
6
N.C.
15
Ala.
9
Ga.
16
Miss.
6
Texas
38
S.C.
9
La.
8
Fla.
29
Alaska
3
Hawaii
4
[Hate our electoral system? Here’s who could have been president under other setups]
1. Number of electors for each state determined
Each state is allotted one elector for each U.S. representative and senator it has. Washington, D.C. doesn’t have representation in Congress, but it receives three electors, the same number as the least populous state.
# of representatives + 2 senators per state = Total electoral seats
MARYLAND
The number of
representatives
depends on
the state’s
population
8
representatives
Each state
has two
senators
2
senators
The minimum
number of
electoral votes
a state can get
is 3. That’s also
true for D.C.
10
electoral votes
MARYLAND
The number of
representatives
depends on
the state’s
population
8
representatives
Each state
has two
senators
2
senators
The minimum
number of
electoral votes
a state can get
is 3. That’s also
true for D.C.
10
electoral votes
WYOMING
MARYLAND
CALIFORNIA
The number of
representatives
depends on
the state’s
population
1
8
53
representative
representatives
representatives
Each state
has two
senators
2
2
2
senators
senators
senators
The minimum
number of
electoral votes
a state can get
is 3. That’s also
true for D.C.
3
10
55
electoral votes
electoral votes
electoral votes
WYOMING
MARYLAND
CALIFORNIA
The number of
representatives
depends on
the state’s
population
1
8
53
representative
representatives
representatives
Each state
has two
senators
2
2
2
senators
senators
senators
The minimum
number of
electoral votes
a state can get
is 3. That’s also
true for D.C.
3
10
55
electoral votes
electoral votes
electoral votes
The number of congressional seats each state gets is determined by the decennial census. The 2020 Census is happening right now, which means some states will have a different number of electoral votes for the next presidential election in 2024.
[Tracking the 2020 electoral college vote]
2. Electors are nominated
In most states, electors are nominated at party conventions and their names are given to the state’s election official.
Democratic
convention
State’s election
official
Republican
convention
Democratic
convention
State’s election
official
Republican
convention
Democratic
convention
State’s election
official
Republican
convention
3. Voters select electors on Election Day
Electors’ names do not usually appear on the ballot, but when Americans in each state vote for their choice of president, they are technically casting their ballot for the slate of electors representing the ticket.
[Election maps are telling you big lies about small things]
4. Electoral votes are tallied for states/districts
Most states are winner-take-all for presidential elections. Whichever party’s slate of electors receives the most votes gets all of the electoral votes. There are two exceptions: Maine and Nebraska both give two at-large delegates to whoever wins the state overall, and then one to the winner of each individual congressional district.
5. Majority of electoral votes determines the winner
A candidate needs to win a majority of 538 electoral votes — 270 — to be elected president.
If no candidate wins a majority of electoral votes, the Senate chooses the vice president and the House chooses the president. But the House decision doesn’t work like normal: Each state’s delegation gets to cast a single vote, meaning that large states have the same weight as small states, similar to the Senate.
6. Electors ceremonially cast ballots for president
In 2020, Tuesday, Dec. 8 is “safe harbor” day. Under federal law, every state is expected to have made its election results official by the end of the day.
The following Monday, Dec. 14, in what has been a largely ceremonial gesture, the electors will cast ballots for president and vice president and are expected to follow the vote of their state. The deadline to receive the electors’ ballots from all states is Dec. 23. They are sent to the president of the Senate, but there’s no penalty if the deadline is missed.
On rare occasions, some electors have decided to cast their votes for a different candidate. These are known as “faithless electors,” and the behavior is protected by the Constitution. But a recent ruling of the Supreme Court stated that a state is allowed to require presidential electors to support the winner of its popular vote and may punish or replace those who don’t.
M
M
The votes are counted at a joint session of Congress, which will take place Jan. 6, and the president is officially elected and later inaugurated on Jan. 20.
Read more:
- Number 68 of “The Federalist Papers”
- Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution
- Where Democratic candidates of the 2020 primaries stood on eliminating the electoral college
- Opinion: The electoral college is not working
- Opinion: It’s not time to throw out the electoral college
- Is the electoral college fair?
