Electoral College (United States)
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.