Decoding the Electoral College: How Presidential Elections Are Won

The Electoral College is a unique system used in the United States to elect the president. It assigns votes to states based on population, requiring candidates to win 270 out of 538 electoral votes. Critics highlight its flaws, such as presidents winning despite losing the popular vote.

The Electoral College system plays a pivotal role in determining the winner of U.S. presidential elections. It assigns electoral votes to each state primarily based on population, with a total of 538 electors nationwide. A candidate needs 270 votes to secure the presidency.

This system, rooted in the U.S. Constitution, is a compromise between electing the president via Congress or a direct popular vote. Each state has a number of electors equal to its congressional representation. Most states follow a winner-take-all approach, focusing campaigns on battlegrounds like Arizona and Pennsylvania.

Candidates can win the presidency without the popular vote, as seen in the 2000 and 2016 elections. Recent reforms aim to clarify electoral processes, yet substantial changes to the system would need a constitutional amendment.

(With inputs from agencies.)