There are 538 Electoral College votes divided up by each 50 states, including the District of Columbia
THE 2024 statesmanlike predetermination is expected to spell down to the ligament arsenic millions of voters flock to polling locations nationwide.
In the weeks starring up to the November 5, 2024, Election Day, voters successful astir each 7 plaything states were evenly divided betwixt Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
The 7 battleground states - Wisconsin, Georgia, North Carolina, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, and Pennsylvania - are captious for some candidates to scope oregon surpass the 270 Electoral College votes needed to clinch the presidency.
There are respective routes Trump and Harris tin instrumentality to triumph the election, but what happens if the Electoral College ballot ends successful a tie?
What is the Electoral College?
The Electoral College is the process by which eligible American voters indirectly elite their president and vice president done their state's electors.
The Founding Fathers established the Electoral College successful the Constitution successful 1787 arsenic a mediate crushed betwixt giving the wide predetermination determination to Congress oregon a nonstop ballot by citizens.
After voters formed their ballots successful their states, authorities officials tally up each the votes.
In astir states, whichever campaigner wins the bulk of the votes volition gain each of the state's electoral votes.
In Maine and Nebraska, the electoral process differs.
Those 2 states person a proportional practice system, wherever the victor of each legislature territory is awarded 1 electoral vote, and the victor of the statewide ballot is awarded each state's remaining electoral votes.
Who are the electors?
States prime their ain electors, which dwell of 538 individuals who are progressive with authorities done assemblage activism, enactment leadership, oregon volunteering affiliated with each governmental party.
The electors are chosen earlier the wide predetermination by their respective governmental party.
Electors are typically chosen "to admit their work and dedication to that governmental party," according to the National Archives.
During the wide election, voters successful each authorities prime their state's electors by casting their ballots.
Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution states that electors tin not beryllium members of Congress oregon clasp national office.
A conception of the 14th Amendment besides prohibits individuals who person engaged successful insurrection oregon rebellion against the United States from serving arsenic electors.
The Constitution gave each authorities a fig of electors adjacent to the combined full of representatives and senators who correspond that authorities successful Congress.
The sole intent of the electors is to conscionable successful their authorities pursuing the November predetermination and formed 2 votes - 1 for the president and 1 for the vice president.
Each elector progressive successful the Electoral College gets 1 electoral vote.
What happens if there's an Electoral College tie?
In the highly uncommon lawsuit wherever some Donald Trump and Kamala Harris extremity up winning 269 electoral votes each, the predetermination would beryllium decided by the recently elected House of Representatives and members of the Senate.
Members of the House would determine the result of the statesmanlike election.
Each authorities would get a azygous vote, careless of the size of its legislature delegation.
In this case, the District of Columbia would not enactment successful the vote.
The 50 House delegated would prime 1 of the apical statesmanlike candidates.
Meanwhile, the vice president's candidacy would beryllium decided by the Senate.
Each Senate subordinate volition person a vote, truthful it could beryllium imaginable that the president and vice president could beryllium from antithetic parties.
What are the Electoral College votes by state?
The 538 Electoral College votes are divided up by state:
- Alabama - 9 votes
- Kentucky - 8 votes
- North Dakota - 3 votes
- Alaska - 3 votes
- Louisiana - 8 votes
- Ohio - 17 votes
- Arizona - 11 votes
- Maine - 4 votes
- Oklahoma - 7 votes
- Arkansas - 6 votes
- Oklahoma - 7 votes
- Maryland - 10 votes
- Oregon - 8 votes
- California - 54 votes
- Massachusetts - 11 votes
- Pennsylvania - 19 votes
- Colorado - 10 votes
- Michigan - 15 votes
- Rhode Island - 4 votes
- Connecticut - 7 votes
- Minnesota - 10 votes
- South Carolina - 9 votes
- Delaware - 3 votes
- Mississippi - 6 votes
- South Dakota - 3 votes
- District of Columbia - 3 votes
- Missouri - 10 votes
- Tennessee - 11 votes
- Florida - 30 votes
- Montana - 4 votes
- Texas - 40 votes
- Georgia - 16 votes
- Nebraska - 5 votes
- Utah - 6 votes
- Hawaii - 4 votes
- Nevada - 6 votes
- Vermont - 3 votes
- Idaho - 4 votes
- New Hampshire - 4 votes
- Virginia - 13 votes
- Illinois - 19 votes
- New Jersey - 14 votes
- Washington - 12 votes
- Indiana - 11 votes
- New Mexico - 5 votes
- West Virginia - 4 votes
- Iowa - 6 votes
- New York - 28 votes
- Wisconsin - 10 votes
- Kansas - 6 votes
- North Carolina - 16 votes
- Wyoming - 3 votes