What is the Electoral College? What to know, in 500 words

EXPLAINER

In the US, statesmanlike elections are decided by a state-based ballot allocation system. Here’s what you request to know.

It’s astatine the bosom of however statesmanlike elections successful the United States are decided. But for many, the Electoral College is simply a mystery, wrapped successful a riddle, shrouded successful an enigma.

It doesn’t person to beryllium confusing, though.

To recognize the Electoral College system, you archetypal person to cognize that US presidents are not elected by the nationalist fashionable vote: the full fig of votes each campaigner receives.

Instead, a radical of 538 alleged “electors” prime the president. These electors marque up the Electoral College.

So who are these electors?

Before the election, the governmental parties successful each authorities take a slate of electors: existent radical who yet formed a ballot for the president. Very often, the electors are enactment officials oregon supporters.

Each authorities gets the aforesaid fig of electors arsenic it has representatives successful the US House of Representatives and the US Senate.

For example, Michigan gets 15 Electoral College votes. That corresponds to the 2 senators and 13 House members that correspond the authorities successful Congress.

Now that we cognize who these electors are and however galore correspond each state, however are their votes allocated? Here’s wherever it gets fun.

In astir each the states crossed the US, the statesmanlike campaigner who gets the astir votes wins each that state’s electors: It’s a winner-takes-all system. Even if a campaigner wins a authorities narrowly, they inactive get each the electors.

The outliers are Maine and Nebraska, which allocate their electors based connected a much analyzable strategy that reflects the fashionable ballot connected the authorities and legislature territory levels.

The District of Columbia — which is not a authorities but encompasses the country’s superior — besides gets 3 Electoral College votes.

But present is the astir important part: To triumph the White House, a statesmanlike campaigner indispensable triumph the enactment of a bulk of the electors.

So retired of a full of 538 Electoral College votes, they request at slightest 270 to win.

The electors yet formed their votes successful December, astir a period aft the election.

Their votes are past certified by Congress successful aboriginal January, erstwhile the president is confirmed and takes office.

So what does this each mean?

Effectively, to triumph the US presidency, a campaigner has to triumph enactment successful capable cardinal states to scope that magic Electoral College fig of 270.

Under this system, a campaigner who wins the fashionable ballot — the astir votes successful full crossed the US — whitethorn not really triumph the White House.

One recent example came successful 2016, erstwhile Democratic statesmanlike campaigner Hillary Clinton won the fashionable ballot but mislaid the predetermination to Republican Donald Trump. His triumph was buoyed by wins successful states similar Florida and Pennsylvania, each of which offered astatine slightest 20 Electoral College votes.

The Electoral College strategy was designed, successful effect, to guarantee the governmental powerfulness of the states.

Some Americans accidental the Electoral College should beryllium scrapped successful favour of the fashionable vote. Others reason the strategy ensures highly populated states bash not overshadow smaller ones, thereby encouraging number practice successful US democracy.