Electoral College Vote
NOTE
The president of the United States is not elected by popular vote but rather by electors in the Electoral College. When registered voters cast their votes for President and Vice President, they are in fact voting to choose the electors who will represent their state in the Electoral College.Electoral College Votes By State
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Total Electoral Votes: 538
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Electors Must Pledge in: 30 States(including Washington DC)
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Electors DO NOT need to Pledge in: 21 States
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Winner-Takes-All Allocation Type in: 49 States
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District Allocation Type in: 2 States
| State Name | Total | Allocation Type | Elector Must Pledge? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 9 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| Alaska | 3 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| Arizona | 11 | winner-takes-all | no |
| Arkansas | 6 | winner-takes-all | no |
| California | 55 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| Colorado | 9 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| Connecticut | 7 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| Delaware | 3 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| Florida | 29 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| Georgia | 16 | winner-takes-all | no |
| Hawaii | 4 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| Idaho | 4 | winner-takes-all | no |
| Illinois | 20 | winner-takes-all | no |
| Indiana | 11 | winner-takes-all | no |
| Iowa | 6 | winner-takes-all | no |
| Kansas | 6 | winner-takes-all | no |
| Kentucky | 8 | winner-takes-all | no |
| Louisiana | 8 | winner-takes-all | no |
| Maine | 4 | district | yes |
| Maryland | 10 | winner-takes-all | no |
| Massachusetts | 11 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| Michigan | 16 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| Minnesota | 10 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| Mississippi | 6 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| Missouri | 10 | winner-takes-all | no |
| Montana | 3 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| Nebraska | 5 | district | yes |
| Nevada | 6 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| New Hampshire | 4 | winner-takes-all | no |
| New Jersey | 14 | winner-takes-all | no |
| New Mexico | 5 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| New York | 29 | winner-takes-all | no |
| North Carolina | 15 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| North Dakota | 3 | winner-takes-all | no |
| Ohio | 18 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| Oklahoma | 7 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| Oregon | 7 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| Pennsylvania | 20 | winner-takes-all | no |
| Rhode Island | 4 | winner-takes-all | no |
| South Carolina | 9 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| South Dakota | 3 | winner-takes-all | no |
| Tennessee | 11 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| Texas | 38 | winner-takes-all | no |
| Utah | 6 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| Vermont | 3 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| Virginia | 13 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| Washington | 12 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| Washington DC | 3 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| West Virginia | 5 | winner-takes-all | no |
| Wisconsin | 10 | winner-takes-all | yes |
| Wyoming | 3 | winner-takes-all | yes |
How Are Electors Selected
- The process consists of the election of the electors , meeting of electors where they cast their vote for president and VP , and the counting of the electoral vote by congress. The U.S. Constitution does not dictate how presidential electors are to cast their votes, but, in general, electors are expected to vote for the winner of the popular vote in their state or the candidates of the party that nominated them to serve as electors.
- Some state laws state that electors must vote for the candidate of the party they represent, while others require electors sign an oath or a pledge. Also, some states specify what happens if an elector violates the requirement, for example in some states this is treated as a vacancy which is filled accordingly. A few states also provide criminal penalties if an elector violates the requirement.
- The winning Presidential candidate's slate of potential Electors are appointed as the state's Electors—except in Nebraska and Maine, which have proportional distribution of the Electors. In Nebraska and Maine, the state winner receives two Electors and the winner of each congressional district (who may be the same as the overall winner or a different candidate) receives one Elector. This system permits the Electors from Nebraska and Maine to be awarded to more than one candidate.
- Electors who choose not to vote for the winner of the popular vote or the candidates of the party that nominated them are known as "faithless electors". Faithless electors are rare. Between 1900 and 2012, there were only eight known instances of faithless electors.
How Are The Electoral Votes Allocated
- Electoral votes are allocated among the states based on the Census. Every state is allocated a number of votes equal to the number of senators and representatives in its U.S. Congressional delegation—two votes for its senators in the U.S. Senate plus a number of votes equal to the number of its members in the U. S. House of Representatives.
How Does The Electoral Vote Work?
- The process consists of the election of the electors , meeting of electors where they cast their vote for president and VP, and the counting of the electoral vote by congress. The U.S. Constitution does not dictate how presidential electors are to cast their votes, but, in general, electors are expected to vote for the winner of the popular vote in their state or the candidates of the party that nominated them to serve as electors.
- Some state laws state that electors must vote for the candidate of the party they represent, while others require electors sign an oath or a pledge. Also, some states specify what happens if an elector violates the requirement, for example in some states this is treated as a vacancy which is filled accordingly. A few states also provide criminal penalties if an elector violates the requirement.
- The winning Presidential candidate's slate of potential Electors are appointed as the state's Electors—except in Nebraska and Maine, which have proportional distribution of the Electors. In Nebraska and Maine, the state winner receives two Electors and the winner of each congressional district (who may be the same as the overall winner or a different candidate) receives one Elector. This system permits the Electors from Nebraska and Maine to be awarded to more than one candidate.
- Electors who choose not to vote for the winner of the popular vote or the candidates of the party that nominated them are known as "faithless electors". Faithless electors are rare. Between 1900 and 2012, there were only eight known instances of faithless electors.
What Happens If The Electoral Vote Is A Tie?
- Total Electoral Votes is 538 - a 270 votes Majority is Needed to be Elected President of The United States. In case of a tie, the House of Representatives makes the decision with each state having one vote. Representatives of at least two-thirds of the states must be present for the vote. If they cannot decide by March 4, then the Vice President becomes President and the person receiving the largest number of Vice President votes becomes Vice President.
What Is The Current Number of Electoral College Votes
- There are currently 538 electors – corresponding to the 435 Representatives in the US House and 100 US Senators – The additional three electors are from DC since The 23rd amendment grants DC the same number of electors as the least populous state (Alaska, Delaware, Montana, ND, SD, Wyoming)
What are the qualifications to be an Elector?
- The U.S. Constitution contains very few provisions relating to the qualifications of Electors. Article II, section 1, clause 2 provides that no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector. The 14th Amendment provides that state officials who have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States or given aid and comfort to its enemies are disqualified from serving as Electors.
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