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Elections & terms

Electoral College

The 538 state-appointed electors who formally elect the President. A candidate needs 270 electoral votes; all but two states award theirs winner-take-all.

In full

Each state gets electors equal to its House seats plus two senators (D.C. gets three under the Twenty-Third Amendment). State popular votes determine which slate of electors is appointed; 48 states award all electors to the statewide winner, while Maine and Nebraska split theirs by congressional district. Electors meet in their states in mid-December; Congress counts the votes January 6; without a 270 majority, the House chooses the President with each state delegation casting one vote.

Also written as: elector, electors, electoral votes

Where to go next
general electioncertificationcontingent electionThe Electoral College, step by step

Written from National Archives, About the Electors

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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.