The Popular Vote and the Electoral Vote

The popular vote is the total number of votes that people cast on Election Day. But the popular vote does not decide who will be the next President. The final decision is made by a group of people called electors, or the Electoral College.

When Americans vote in November, they are not voting directly for the President. They are voting for electors. The presidential candidate who wins the majority, or more than half, of the popular vote in each state also wins the electoral vote. The new President is sworn into office on January 20— Inauguration Day.

How the Electoral College Got Its Start

Soon after America won its independence, leaders from each state met in Philadelphia to write the Constitution. They knew they wanted a President to lead the country. But they weren’t sure who would get to choose the President.

Some of these leaders thought that Congress should choose the President. A few argued that this might give Congress too much power. Others thought citizens should elect the President. But some leaders worried that people would not have enough information about the candidates to make an informed decision. Remember, this was long before radio, television, and the Internet. After much discussion, they created the Electoral College. The college would be a group of educated men who would vote for President and Vice President. The leaders decided that the number of electors would be equal to the number of senators and representatives from each state. Each state has two senators, so they receive two electoral votes. States with larger populations, or people, have more representatives. The larger the state (in population, not size), the more electors it has for the election.

Ready for some simple math? There are 538 electors. Here’s how:


It takes 270 electoral votes to win the election. Can you guess which states have the most electors? Which states have the least? Check out the map below to see if you guessed correctly.


(Click on map to enlarge)

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