The Electoral College is the system by which the United States elects its president and vice president. Voters in each state (and the District of Columbia) choose a slate of electors who then cast the formal electoral votes for president and vice president.
How it works
- Each state has a number of electors equal to its total representation in Congress (House seats + 2 senators). The District of Columbia has three electors.
- Most states use winner-take-all allocation; Maine and Nebraska allocate some electors by congressional district.
- A majority of the total electoral votes is required to win the presidency. If no candidate wins a majority, the House chooses the president (one vote per state delegation) and the Senate chooses the vice president.
Timeline
- General election: first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
- Electors meet in their states in December to cast votes.
- Congress counts electoral votes in a joint session in early January.
Faithless electors
Some states require electors to vote for their pledged candidates; state laws may replace or penalize electors who vote otherwise.
Debates and reform proposals
Critiques focus on discrepancies between the national popular vote and the electoral result, swing-state incentives, and unequal campaign attention. Proposals include constitutional amendment, proportional allocation, district plans, and the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.