Electoral College System

Question 1

Number of votes per state

Answer 1

Every state has an amount of Electoral College votes (ECVs) which is equal to the number of representatives the state has in Congress. California has the most ECVs with 55, whilst Texas is second with 38.

Question 2

Splitting the ECVs

Answer 2

In most States, the candidate with the most votes wins all the state’s ECVs. However, In Maine and Nebraska, ECVs are awarded based on which candidate wins the most votes in the congressional districts within the state. This means that the state’s ECVs can be split between candidates.

Question 3

Winning the presidency

Answer 3

There are 538 ECVs in total. Candidates must win at least 270 ECVs to become president.

Question 4

Strong outcome

Answer 4

The Electoral College often gives the winner a large amount of support. This is important for a president who needs to unite the nation and gives them a large mandate to govern. The ECV system results in a strong outcome because in practice only two candidates compete for election.

Question 5

Small states representation

Answer 5

The Electoral College gives small states influence over the election result. Without the Electoral College system, voters in the least populated states would have no impact. But this means that small states are often over-represented compared to more populated states. Wyoming has one ECV for every 195,000 people whilst Texas has one ECV for every 734,000 people.

Question 6

Popular vote

Answer 6

In the ECV system, a candidate can have the highest number of individual votes but have the smallest number of ECVs. This means that a candidate can win the popular vote but lose the election.