Electoral College
Every four years, citizens of the United States vote in the presidential election. Everyone eighteen years or older has one vote where they choose whom they believe should be President and Vice President. Once the polling locations are closed, all the votes are counted, and in most states the candidate with the most votes wins the state’s electoral votes. Contrary to belief, the candidate that wins the popular vote does not necessary win the presidential election. The Electoral College decides the winning presidential candidate. The Electoral College consists of 538 electors. In order to win presidency, a candidate must win the majority, or 270 electoral votes. Each state is divided into districts based on the states’ population. An individual state’s total number of electoral votes is the number of districts plus two, because each state has two senators. The candidate with the most votes in a particular states is the candidate your state supports. So when voting, citizens are actually voting for which electors will support the state. All states besides Maine and Nebraska have a “Winner-take-all-method.” After election day, the governor from each state makes a “Certificate of Ascertainment” which declares the state’s winning candidate, as well as which electors will vote. The electors meet in their state and cast their votes and their votes are then counted on January 6th at the joint Congress session. Finally on January 20, the newly elected President and Vice President are sworn in.