How does the Electoral College work?

Five presidents successful U.S. history person won nan presidency without winning nan celebrated vote, and nan astir caller to do truthful was Donald Trump successful 2016. His force that year, Hillary Clinton, won complete 2.8 cardinal much votes than Trump nationwide, but she mislaid capable cardinal states to beryllium defeated successful nan Electoral College, 306 to 232. 

Trump mislaid some nan celebrated ballot and nan Electoral College to Joe Biden successful 2020. (Once again nan electoral ballot was 306 to 232, but this clip successful nan Democrat's favor.) Trump is nan GOP nominee again successful nan 2024 statesmanlike election, successful what's shaped up to beryllium a tight title against Vice President Kamala Harris. 

Since its founding, nan federation has utilized nan Electoral College to elite nan president. Read connected to study much astir really it works, its history and what domiciled individual voters play successful nan result of nan statesmanlike election.

What is nan Electoral College and really does it work?

The Electoral College is nan process by which Americans elite their president and vice president indirectly done their state's electors. Candidates must unafraid 270 electoral votes, a mostly of nan 538 astatine stake, successful bid to triumph nan White House. 

Before nan wide election, states prime slates of electors. After voters formed their ballots successful November, nan campaigner who wins nan celebrated ballot determines which slate of electors — Republican, Democrat aliases a 3rd statement — will formed electoral votes successful nan Electoral College for nan president. 

In astir states, it's winner-take-all — whoever gets nan astir votes successful nan authorities wins each of its electoral votes. 

In Maine and Nebraska, nan rules are somewhat different. They person a proportional practice system successful which nan victor of each legislature territory is awarded 1 electoral vote, and nan victor of nan statewide ballot is awarded each state's remaining 2 electoral votes. Some Republicans were hoping to alteration Nebraska's rules to a winner-take-all model, since one of its electoral votes often goes to nan Democrat, but the effort fell short. 

Electors meet successful their respective states successful mid-December to formed their votes for nan president. The meeting takes place nan first Tuesday aft nan 2nd Wednesday successful December, which falls connected Dec. 17 this year. 

There is nary Constitutional proviso aliases national rule that requires electors to ballot for nan campaigner to whom they are pledged, though they almost ever do. "Faithless electors" are rare, since nan electors are selected by nan parties.

How galore electors are successful nan Electoral College?

There are 538 electors successful full crossed nan 50 states and Washington, D.C. 

What determines really galore electoral votes a authorities gets?

Each authorities is allocated electors based connected nan size of its legislature delegation. Several states pinch nan smallest populations — Alaska, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming — person 3 electors each, since they person 1 typical successful nan House and 2 senators, while California, nan largest, has 54 electoral votes.  Washington, D.C., is besides allocated 3 electors.

States whitethorn summation aliases suffer electors arsenic nan organization shifts, and location person been a number of changes since nan 2020 statesmanlike election.

In nan redistricting that followed nan 2020 Census, Texas gained 2 electoral votes and 5 states gained 1 each, while 7 states mislaid 1 electoral vote.

Who chooses nan electors?

The electors are chosen earlier nan wide predetermination by their respective governmental party. Their sole intent is to meet successful their authorities pursuing nan November predetermination and formed 2 votes — 1 for nan president and 1 for nan vice president.

Who are nan electors?

Each party's slate of electors whitethorn see authorities and section elected officials, statement leaders, organization activists and others affiliated pinch nan party. They are typically chosen "to admit their work and dedication to that governmental party," nan National Archives explains.

There are nary awesome qualifications, but members of Congress and definite different office-holders are barred from participating, on pinch anyone who has engaged successful insurrection aliases rebellion.

What happens if there's a necktie successful nan Electoral College?

In nan uncommon arena that there's a tie successful nan Electoral College — which successful nan modern era would mean each campaigner wins 269 electoral votes — members of nan recently elected House of Representatives would determine nan result of nan statesmanlike election, while nan Senate would prime nan vice president.

This type of contingent predetermination would besides return spot if neither campaigner wins a majority. This could hap if a third-party campaigner wins immoderate of nan electoral votes aliases if location are a number of "faithless electors" who break their promise and ballot for a campaigner different than nan 1 who won nan state's celebrated vote.

If it went to nan House, each authorities would get a azygous vote, sloppy of nan size of its legislature delegation, and nan 50 House delegations (the District of Columbia would not participate) would prime 1 of nan apical 3 statesmanlike candidates.

The vice president would beryllium selected by a elemental mostly successful nan Senate, and each senators would person a vote. As a result, it's imaginable that nan president and vice president could beryllium from different parties.

Since nan 12th Amendment was ratified successful 1804, location person been contingent elections twice.

In 1824, 4 statesmanlike candidates divided nan vote, and nary campaigner won an electoral majority. John Quincy Adams won nan predetermination successful nan House, moreover though Andrew Jackson had won a plurality of nan celebrated and electoral votes.

And successful 1837, Martin Van Buren won a mostly of electoral votes, but Virginia's 23 electors refused to support his vice statesmanlike candidate, Richard Johnson, and became faithless electors. That near Johnson 1 ballot short, starring to a contingent predetermination successful nan Senate, which he won easily.

Why do we ballot if nan Electoral College picks nan president?

Five presidents successful U.S. history person mislaid nan celebrated ballot and still managed to triumph nan election, starring immoderate to wonderment why nan federation continues to support nan Electoral College successful place. The Electoral College was established successful Article II of nan Constitution and could beryllium repealed by law amendment. But that's a difficult road. Amendments require a two-thirds mostly ballot successful some houses of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of nan states, aliases 38 of nan existent 50.

In a 2023 Pew Research poll, 65% of Americans said nan president should beryllium elected done nan celebrated vote, not nan Electoral College. Hundreds of proposals person been introduced successful Congress to alteration nan process complete nan years. There's besides a multi-state effort called nan National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which has been adopted by 17 states and Washington, D,C. That connection would guarantee that nan victor of nan celebrated ballot gets each of nan electoral votes successful nan states that signed nan compact — but it would only spell into effect if capable states agree.

So why support nan Electoral College successful spot if there's truthful overmuch vexation from Americans? According to nan National Archives, nan Founding Fathers saw nan Electoral College arsenic a mediate crushed betwixt giving nan determination to Congress aliases to a nonstop ballot by citizens. Proponents opportunity it keeps less populous states from being underrepresented by discouraging candidates from campaigning disproportionately successful municipality centers that are much heavy populated. 

What's nan history of nan Electoral College?

The Founding Fathers established nan Electoral College successful nan Constitution successful 1787. The word "Electoral College" does not look successful nan nation's historical document, but nan connection "electors" does, the National Archives noted.

The ratification of nan 12th Amendment successful 1804 changed immoderate of nan rules for nan Electoral College. For example, it required separate electoral votes beryllium cast for nan president and vice president. With nan ratification of the 23rd Amendment in 1961, nan District of Columbia received 3 electors.

In:
• United States Electoral College
• Voter Turnout
• Biden Administration
• National Voter Registration Day
• Joe Biden
• Kamala Harris
• Donald Trump