Electoral College

The Electoral College is a system used in the United States to elect the president. Instead of citizens voting directly for a candidate, they vote for electors pledged to that candidate. Each state has a certain number of electors based on its population, totaling 538 nationwide. To win the presidency, a candidate needs a majority of these electoral votes (at least 270). This system means that in most states, the candidate who gets the most votes wins all of that state’s electoral votes, which can lead to a situation where a candidate wins the presidency without winning the popular vote.