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270: It's the Magic Number
The Electoral College and electing the President of the United States

To be elected President of the United States of America, a candidate must receive the majority of the Electoral College votes. Today, the majority is 270, making this the “magic number.”

What is the Electoral College, you ask?

The Electoral College consists of people called electors from every state in America plus the District of Columbia. Electors cast their votes for U.S. president and vice president.

Why is this important? Who are these electors and what do they do?

The U.S Constitution declares that voters actually vote for electors, they do not technically vote for a presidential candidate. In most cases, the candidate who wins any given state gets all of that state's electoral votes.

How many Electoral College votes are there?

There are 538 Electoral College votes.

How is the number of Electoral College votes determined?

Each state's electors are a combination of the state's senators, two in each state, and the state's representatives, which is determined by the population of that state.

number of Electoral Votes assigned to each state

Trivia

Before 1804, the top vote-getter in an election became president, and the runner-up was named vice president. In 1976, the winner of the most votes was John Adams. Thomas Jefferson, Adams rival, won the second-most votes, making Jefferson his opponent’s vice president!

The Electoral College is a somewhat misleading label: It has no permanent physical location, and once the electors perform their duties, it ceases to exist until the next presidential election.

If no one wins a majority of the Electoral College votes, the election is sent to the House of Representatives for a decision. The House is considered the arm of the government that most closely represents the people.

The least number of electoral votes assigned to a state is 3. As the most populous state, California has the most electoral votes at 55.

The term “Electoral College” does not appear anywhere in the U.S. Constitution.

On a presidential election ballot, the words “Electors for” appear in small letters above the names of the candidates for president – a reminder of for whom the voters actually are casting their ballots.

Trivia from: Cobblestone 2004-09, CobblestoneOnline.net

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