Electoral College

Introduction
History and operation
Arguments for and against the Electoral College
U.S. election results
U.S. electoral votes

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images, Videos & Interactives

Alabama certificate showing the state's electors' votes

How does the Electoral College work in the U.S.?

How many Electoral College votes does each U.S. state have?

How does the Electoral College work in U.S. elections?

Two people in suits with their heads replaced by scoops of ice cream against a striped background and a red flag labeled VOTE!

Guide to U.S. presidential election results

At a Glance

electoral college summary

Quizzes

A 1912 poster shows Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and William Howard Taft, all working at desks, superimposed on a map of the United States. The three were candidates in the 1912 election.

U.S. Presidential Elections Quiz

Related Questions

Have faithless electors ever changed the outcome of a U.S. presidential election?
How are presidential electors chosen in each state?
How can a presidential candidate win the popular vote but lose the Electoral College?
How did Donald Trump win the Electoral College in 2016 while Hillary Clinton won more popular votes?
How did the Constitutional Convention decide on the Electoral College?
How did the House of Representatives decide the presidential election of 1824?
How did the Supreme Court decision in Bush v. Gore affect the 2000 presidential election?
How did the Twelfth Amendment change the Electoral College process?
How did the original Electoral College system choose the president and vice president?
How does the Electoral College affect voter turnout in states dominated by one political party?
How does the House of Representatives choose a president when no candidate wins an Electoral College majority?
How does the Senate choose a vice president when no candidate receives an Electoral College majority?
How does the U.S. Electoral College determine the president and vice president?
How does the winner-take-all system affect third-party presidential candidates?
How is each state's number of electoral votes calculated?
How many electoral votes did Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton receive in the 2016 election?
How many electoral votes did George W. Bush and Al Gore receive in the 2000 election?
How many electoral votes do California, Texas, and Florida have?
What constitutional steps would be required to abolish the Electoral College?
What happens if no presidential candidate receives 270 electoral votes?
What is a faithless elector in a U.S. presidential election?
What is the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact?
What role does the vice president play when Congress counts electoral votes?
Which U.S. presidents won the Electoral College while losing the national popular vote?
Which constitutional amendment gave the District of Columbia representation in the Electoral College?
Why did John Quincy Adams become president in 1824 despite Andrew Jackson leading in popular and electoral votes?
Why did Ross Perot receive no electoral votes in the 1992 presidential election?
Why did the election of 1800 lead to the Twelfth Amendment?
Why do California and Texas have more electoral votes than smaller states such as Wyoming and Vermont?
Why do critics argue that the Electoral College is undemocratic?
Why do presidential campaigns focus heavily on competitive states?
Why does the District of Columbia have electoral votes?
Why were Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina electoral votes disputed in the 1876 election?
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External Websites

Congress.gov - Congressional Research Service - Electoral College Overview
History, Art, and Archives - United States House of Representatives - Electoral College Fast Facts
Bill of Rights Institute - Electoral College
National Archives - The Electoral College
GovInfo - The Electoral College (PDF)

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Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

electoral college - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
Electoral College - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Electoral College

United States

Written by

Stephen Wayne

Emeritus Professor of Government, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. Author of The Road to the White House, The Legislative Presidency, and others.

Stephen Wayne

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 13, 2026 •History

Electoral College, the system by which the president and vice president of the United States are chosen. It was devised by the framers of the United States Constitution to provide a method of election that was feasible, desirable, and consistent with a republican form of government. For the results of U.S. presidential elections, see the table. During most of the Constitutional Convention, presidential selection was vested in the legislature. The Electoral College was proposed near...

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