The Electoral College

The United States Electoral College is a body of electors established by the United States Constitution, constituted every four years for the sole purpose of electing the presidentand vice president of the United States. The Electoral College consists of 538 electors, and an absolute majority of 270 electoral votes is required to win an election. Pursuant to Article II, Section 1, Clause 2, the legislature of each state determines the manner by which its electors are chosen. Each state's number of electors is equal to the combined total of the state's membership in the Senate and House of Representatives; currently there are 100 senators and 435 representatives.^[1][2][3] Additionally, the Twenty-third Amendmentprovides that the District of Columbia is entitled to a number of electors no greater than that of the least populous state (i.e., 3).^[4]

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