What is the Electoral College and how does the US use it to elect presidents?

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump won nan presidency successful 2016 because of nan Electoral College. So did George W. Bush successful 2000.

The Electoral College is nan unsocial American strategy of electing presidents. It is different from nan celebrated vote, and it has an outsize effect connected really candidates tally and triumph campaigns. Republicans Trump and Bush mislaid nan celebrated ballot during their statesmanlike runs but won nan Electoral College to declare nan nation’s apical office.

Some Democrats complaint that nan strategy favors Republicans and they would alternatively nan United States elite presidents by a elemental mostly vote. But nan country’s framers group up nan strategy successful nan Constitution, and it would require a law amendment to change.

A look astatine nan Electoral College and really it works, arsenic Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, nan Democratic nominee for president, compete for nan White House connected Election Day, Nov. 5:

What is nan Electoral College?

The Electoral College is simply a 538-member assemblage that elects a president. The framers of nan Constitution group it up to springiness much powerfulness to nan states and arsenic a discuss to debar having Congress determine nan winner.

Each state’s electors ballot for nan campaigner who won nan celebrated ballot successful that state. The runner-up gets thing — isolated from successful Nebraska and Maine wherever elector votes are awarded based connected legislature territory and statewide results.

To triumph nan presidency, a campaigner must unafraid 270 electoral votes — a mostly of nan 538 imaginable votes.

How is it different from nan celebrated vote?

Under nan Electoral College system, much weight is fixed to a azygous ballot successful a mini authorities than to nan ballot of personification successful a ample state, starring to outcomes astatine times that person been astatine likelihood pinch nan celebrated vote.

It besides affects really candidates campaign. Because nan result is almost definite successful solidly Republican states and solidly Democratic states, candidates thin to attraction astir of their efforts connected a fistful of plaything states that person divided their votes successful caller elections.

Who are nan electors?

Electors are allocated based connected really galore representatives a authorities has successful nan House of Representatives, positive its 2 senators. The District of Columbia gets three, contempt nan truth that nan location to Congress has nary ballot successful Congress.

It varies by state, but often nan electors are picked by authorities parties. Members of Congress cannot service arsenic electors.

How and erstwhile are nan votes counted?

After authorities predetermination officials certify their elections, electors meet successful their individual states — ne'er arsenic 1 assemblage — to certify nan election. This year, that will hap connected Dec. 17.

If nan 2 candidates person a tied number of votes, nan predetermination is thrown to nan House, wherever each state’s legislature delegation gets 1 vote. That has happened only twice, successful 1801 and 1825.

Once a state’s electors person certified nan vote, they nonstop a certificate to Congress. Congress past formally counts and certifies nan ballot astatine a typical convention connected Jan. 6. The vice president presides arsenic nan envelopes for each authorities are opened and verified.

Can lawmakers object?

Lawmakers tin entity to a state’s results during nan legislature certification, arsenic respective Republicans did aft nan 2020 election. On Jan. 6, 2021, nan House and Senate some voted to cull GOP objections to nan Arizona and Pennsylvania results.

After Trump tried to overturn his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden and his supporters stormed nan Capitol connected Jan. 6, Congress updated nan 1800s-era Electoral Count Act to make it harder to entity and to much intelligibly laic retired nan vice president’s ceremonial role, among different changes. Trump had pressured Vice President Mike Pence to effort and entity to nan results — thing nan vice president has nary ineligible opinionated to do.

Once Congress certifies nan vote, nan caller aliases returning president will beryllium inaugurated Jan. 20 connected nan steps of nan Capitol.

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Read much astir really U.S. elections activity astatine Explaining Election 2024, a bid from The Associated Press aimed astatine helping make consciousness of nan American democracy. The AP receives support from respective backstage foundations to heighten its explanatory sum of elections and democracy. See much astir AP’s populist inaugural here. The AP is solely responsible for each content.