While many Americans are aware of the Electoral College’s existence, it’s possible that just as many aren’t aware of how, exactly, the college works. It’s important people do—the outcome of the votes at the Electoral College determines who wins the presidency of the United States for the next four years, no matter the outcome of the popular vote (such as with George W. Bush and Al Gore in the 2000 election, or Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in the 2016 election).
Check out how the Electoral College works below.
1) The electors are determined for each state
The number of electoral votes a state gets is determined by the number of U.S. representatives it has, as well as its senator. Take Maryland, for example: it has eight representatives to represent the state’s population and two senators. This gives it ten electoral votes in the presidential election. This number can change depending on the U.S. Census outcome, as congressional seats are determined by it.
2) Electors are nominated
The electors are nominated at party conventions in most states. Afterward, the names of those nominated are given to the state’s election official.
3) Voters then select their electors on election day
Though they’re not voting for electors by name, voters in each state are also casting their vote for electors depending on who they vote for as president. For example, if someone votes for a Democratic nominee, their vote is also going toward the Democratic electors for the state.
4) Electoral votes are tallied
For most states, the winner takes all for the presidential election: whichever party gets the most votes gets all of the electoral votes for that election. The exceptions to this are Maine and Nebraska, both of which give two delegates to whoever wins the state overall, as well as one to the winner of each congressional district.
5) The majority wins
In order to win the presidential election, a candidate needs to win at least 270 of the 538 electoral votes—the majority. If no majority is won, then the Senate chooses who the Vice President will be, and the House of Representatives chooses the President. In the House, each state’s delegation casts a single vote, giving equal weight in votes for both small and large states.
6) The ballots are ceremonially cast
The electors then ceremonially cast their ballots for the president and vice president. Each elector is expected to follow their state’s vote, though this doesn’t happen on rare occasions. These electors are known as “faithless electors,” and though the Constitution protects the action, the Supreme Court ruled that states are allowed to require their electors to support the winner of its popular vote. Those who don’t are allowed to be either punished or replaced.