Every four years, Americans vote for a president and vice president. They do so by choosing the candidates who will represent their political parties in the Electoral College. People with similar ideas and values come together to form political parties, where they support and campaign for their chosen candidates. When enough people back a candidate, that person becomes the party’s presidential nominee. In the past, when polls have indicated that a close race is developing, parties often go through a lengthy process known as a primary election. These elections determine the final candidates on the general ballot.
When the general election day comes, each State votes for 538 electors. The States’ electoral votes are based on the number of seats they have in the House and Senate, plus three for Washington, DC. Generally, States choose their electors by winner-takes-all rules; this means that a candidate who receives a majority of the statewide vote for president wins all the State’s electoral votes. The exceptions are Nebraska and Maine, which use a proportional system.
Once the Electoral College votes are cast, they are counted on January 6. If one candidate has a majority of electoral votes (270 or more), they are declared elected President and Vice President and the term begins on January 20.
The Founders created the Electoral College to prevent large, high-population urban areas from dominating the nation’s politics. With a more distributed voting system, it’s harder for a president to ignore the interests of smaller, rural States and towns, which have their own unique issues. In addition, the Electoral College helps prevent the potential tyranny of the majority.