The Electoral College is a process used to elect the president and vice president of the United States. It consists of 538 electors chosen from each state and the District of Columbia, where each state's number of electors equals its total number of U.S. Senators and Representatives. Voters in each state cast ballots for a slate of electors pledged to vote for a particular presidential candidate. The candidate who wins the majority of popular votes in a state typically wins all of that state's electoral votes (except in Maine and Nebraska, which divide electoral votes by congressional district). To win the presidency, a candidate must receive a majority of electoral votes—at least 270 out of 538. Electors meet in their state capitals in December to cast their votes, which are then sent to Congress. If no candidate receives a majority, the House of Representatives elects the president from the top three candidates, with each state having one vote.
