Each state has electoral votes equal to the total of the 2 representative the state has in the U.S. Senate plus the number of representative the state has in the House of Representatives. Since every state has two senators and at least one representative to the House, every state has at least 3 electoral votes. The District of Columbia gets 3 electoral votes. Therefore, the total number of electoral votes is 538 - 100 (senators) + 435 (representatives) +3 (for DC). A majority is 270 - one more than half of the total number 0f 538.
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Each State assigns electors differently. States can assign delegates proportionally or by a winner-take-all rule. In caucus States, delegates may be assigned in a process that has nothing to do with popular election results. In some States, delegates can be compelled by law to vote for a specific candidate and in others, delegates are free to vote as they wish.
Each state has a number of electors equal to the number of its Senators and Representatives in the United States Congress.
By the number of seats each State has in Congress
Electoral votes are distributed to each state based on population. States with a higher population have more electoral votes than those with a lower population.
They are "electors" and as a group they are the "electoral college." Voters in Presidential elections are actually selecting the electors who represent a given party or candidate. Under the US Contitution, voters in each state select Presidential Electors who meet in their State Capitals and vote on the Presidential slates. Together, these Electors constitute the Electoral College, although the College never meets all together in one place. Although Electors are usually pledged to vote for one slate or another, there is no constitutional requirement that they do so. Originally they were expected to vote as they thought best for their states and the country.
Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution established the Electoral College to elect the President. It provided that each state would choose electors according to a method set up by the state legislature. Each state received the number of electors that equalled the two Senators plus the number of Representatives in the House of Representatives that the state has. Today, when you vote, you are voting for electors pledged to vote for the candidate of your party. Some states list the name of the electors but most simply list the name of the candidates. So, if you vote for the Republican candidate for President in the general election in November, you are actually voting for the electors selected by the State's Republican Party who are pledged to vote for the Republican candidate if he wins a majority of the popular vote in your state. There are a total of 538 electors that make up the Electoral College. The winning candidate must get 270 of the votes. They formally meet and vote on the Monday following the second Wednesday in December. The votes are taken to the Senate where, on January 6, both houses meet together and the President of the Senate (the current Vice President) counts the votes and officially declares the winner.
Congress
Proposal for choosing presidential electors by which two electors would be selected in each State according to the Statewide popular vote and the other electors would be selected separately in each of the State's congressional districts.
Most states appoint their electors on a winner-take-all basis, based on the statewide popular vote on Election Day. Maine and Nebraska are the only two current exceptions. Maine and Nebraska distribute their electoral votes proportionally, with two at-large electors representing the statewide winning presidential and vice-presidential candidates and one elector each representing the winners from each of their Congressional districts.