The Electoral College: Deciding the President
What is the Electoral College?
The Electoral College is a group of 538 electors appointed to formally cast votes for president and vice president. Each state is allocated a number of electors equal to its number of senators and representatives in Congress. The District of Columbia is also allocated three electors.
When voters cast their ballots for president and vice president, they are actually voting for a slate of electors pledged to support specific candidates. The electors then meet in their respective states on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December to cast their votes for president and vice president.
Why does the Electoral College exist?
The Electoral College was created as a compromise between those who wanted to have the president elected by popular vote and those who wanted to have the president elected by Congress.
The Electoral College system was designed to give small states a greater say in the presidential election process. Under a popular vote system, large states with large populations would have a disproportionate influence on the outcome of the election.
How many electoral votes does each state have?
The number of electoral votes that each state has is determined by its population. The most populous states have the most electoral votes.
Here is a list of the states with the highest number of electoral votes:
- California (55)
- Texas (38)
- Florida (29)
- New York (29)
- Pennsylvania (20)
The least populous states have the fewest electoral votes.
Here is a list of the states with the lowest number of electoral votes:
- Alaska (3)
- Delaware (3)
- Montana (3)
- North Dakota (3)
- South Dakota (3)
- Vermont (3)
- Wyoming (3)
