The United States uses an Electoral College system to elect the president where each state is allocated a number of electors based on the total number of its senators and representatives. Most states follow a "winner-take-all" approach where the candidate who receives the most votes in that state wins all of its electoral votes. A candidate must receive 270 or more electoral votes to win the presidency. It is possible to win the national popular vote but lose the electoral college vote.

1. The Electoral
College

2. When you vote for the
President you are
actually voting for an
ELECTOR to vote for you
Each state has a
determined number of
electors

3. A state’s number of
electors is the total
number of Senators and
Representatives in the
House
Nebraska
2 senators
3 representatives
Total 5 electors

6. There are a total of 538
electoral votes
(the District of
Columbia is not
a state but is
given 3
electoral votes)

7. 48 out of the 50 states
have a “winner takes
all” method
If you get the most
votes in that state you
get ALL of their
electoral college votes

8. 2 states are different
and can divide up their
votes based on
congressional district -
Nebraska and Maine

10. A candidate must have
270 electoral votes to
win the Presidential
election

11. If no single candidate gets
the required 270 electoral
votes then the House of
Representatives votes to
pick a president

12. It is possible to get more
votes overall in the election
from the entire country and
NOT be elected President
Happened in 2000 with Gore
vs Bush
Also happened in 1824, 1876,
& 1888

13. Total Votes in 2000 Election:
Bush 50,461,092 total
votes
(47.9%)
271 Electoral Votes
Gore 50,994,086 total
votes
(48.4%)
266 Electoral Votes
Nader 2,882,728 total

15. Questions to Consider
• Why did the
Founding Fathers
create an Electoral
College?
• How is the
establishment of the
Electoral College
reflective of the
thinking from the
time period (1787)?
• Is this system still
valid today?
• Would a popular
election make more
sense?