Electoral College (United States)

The Electoral College is a group of 538 electors chosen by each state to officially select the U.S. president and vice president. When citizens vote in a presidential election, they are actually voting for a slate of electors pledged to a candidate. Most states award all their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote in that state. To win the presidency, a candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes. The system was designed to balance popular and state interests, though it sometimes results in a candidate winning the presidency without winning the popular vote.