How does the Electoral College work?

This essay explains how the Electoral College works in order to better inform readers. The United States Constitution established the Electoral College as a way of electing the President and Vice President. Under this system, each state is assigned a certain number of electors – based on its combined total of Representatives and Senators – who are chosen by their respective political parties in that state. These electors meet in their own states after the general election to vote for President and Vice President, with their votes being counted at an official meeting of the Electoral College held on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December.

The candidate who receives a majority (at least 270) of all electoral votes cast is elected as President or Vice-President, though it is possible for no candidate to receive a majority, in which case the House of Representatives would select the President and the Senate would select the Vice-President. The number of electoral votes each state has is equal to its total congressional representation – a combination of its two Senators and its number of House members based on population.

In some states, electors may be legally bound to cast their vote for a specific candidate or party; however, this is not the case in all states. Additionally, when no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes, a “contingent election” is held in which each state's delegation casts one collective vote among the three highest electoral vote recipients. In such cases, a majority (26) of states must agree to elect either the President or Vice-President.

In conclusion, the Electoral College is a complex system that influences the electoral process in the United States. It is important to understand how it works in order to fully comprehend this important part of American democracy.