How do electoral votes work? These pictures explain the Electoral College process.
What does it take to be president? You’ve got to be at least 35 years old and a natural-born citizen, for starters. But after the campaigning is done and the ballots are filled out, how does a candidate become president?
The 2024 presidential election is quickly approaching, with Republican candidates taking the debate stage and polls staking early predictions. Before we get to Election Day, here’s everything you need to know about how Americans' votes are tallied.
What is the Electoral College?
The Electoral College is a presidential voting process established in the Constitution. The founding fathers created this system as a compromise between the popular vote, directly among citizens, and a congressional vote.
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How does the Electoral College work?
There are 538 total electoral votes given to each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. based on how many members of Congress it has in Washington. Candidates need 270 votes to win.
The popular vote refers to a statewide tally, and the electoral votes are a reallocation of that tally. When you cast your ballot, your vote is counted with the rest of the state. In most states, the winner gets all the electoral votes.
The only exceptions are Maine and Nebraska, which have electors based on both the statewide and Congressional district popular vote. These states may have a “split vote,” which means they can allocate some votes to one candidate and some to the other. This happened in Nebraska in 2008, in Maine in 2016, and in both states in 2020.
States delegate electors, who represent their state to vote for president and vice president. The Constitution and federal laws provide general requirements for elector selection. State laws adhere to these requirements but vary on additional procedures. Electors cannot be members of Congress, hold high-level federal positions or have engaged in an insurrection or rebellion against the U.S.
Electors pledge to vote according to the statewide or district popular vote. If they don’t, they’re called a “faithless elector.” Some states have laws that require their electors to vote as pledged.
After the electoral votes are counted, a projected winner is announced. If no candidate wins 270 votes, the House conducts a majority vote to elect the president. Here's when this process will happen in the 2024 presidential race:
What determines a state's electoral votes?
A state gets two votes per senator plus the number of congressional districts it has. These numbers are evaluated based on Census data. California, the most populous state in the U.S., has 54 votes while Wyoming, the least populous, has 3. For example –
When the Census shows state population change, electoral votes and congressional seats are shifted.
The current allocations are based on the 2020 Census, which will count for the 2024 and 2028 presidential elections. Here’s each state’s allotted votes, including Washington, D.C.:
Breakdown of Electoral College
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Who certifies the Electoral College vote?
Congress counts and certifies the votes. They meet in a joint session on Jan. 6 with the vice president presiding over the count and announcing the results.
Last year, Congress revised the Electoral Count Act in response to the Jan. 6 insurrection to clarify that a vice president does not have the power to overturn a presidential election.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How does the Electoral College work? Definition, votes needed to win.
