United States Electoral College

The United States Electoral College is a group of 538 electors who formally elect the President and Vice President. Each state is allocated a number of electors based on its total congressional representation (House + Senate). During a presidential election, most states award all their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote in that state. To become president, a candidate needs a majority of electoral votes (at least 270). The Electoral College system is a constitutional mechanism designed to balance state and population interests in selecting the President.