The Electoral College
Names and abbreviations on this page
US — United States. US$ denotes United States dollars.
What it does
The Electoral College is the process used to elect the president and vice president. It is not the system used to choose members of Congress, governors or mayors.
Popular votes and electoral votes
Popular vote: votes cast by voters.
Electoral vote: a vote cast by an appointed presidential elector.
There are 538 electors. Winning the presidency through the Electoral College requires a majority of 270 electoral votes.
How votes connect to states
A state’s electoral total equals its number of U.S. representatives plus its two senators. Washington, D.C., has three electoral votes.
Most states award all their electoral votes to the presidential ticket winning their statewide popular vote. Maine and Nebraska allocate some votes by congressional district and others statewide.
What happens after Election Day
Electors meet in their states to vote for president and vice president. Congress then counts the electoral votes.
If no presidential candidate receives a majority, the Constitution provides a separate selection procedure in Congress.