The Electoral College is a constitutional mechanism in the United States used to elect the President and Vice President. It operates through electors representing each state, with the number of electors assigned based on population. In total, there are 538 electoral votes. To win the presidency, a candidate must secure a majority of at least 270 electoral votes. If no candidate reaches this threshold, the decision moves to the House of Representatives, which selects the President.
The system plays a central role in determining how national elections are resolved, especially in closely contested races. Because the presidency is decided through electoral votes rather than the national popular vote, state-level results become decisive in reaching the 270-vote threshold. This structure can lead to outcomes where a candidate wins the presidency without winning the overall popular vote, depending on how electoral votes are distributed across states.