How is each state's number of electoral votes calculated?

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Alabama certificate showing the state's electors' votes — Electoral College A certificate from Alabama showing the signatures of the state's electors in 2000. The nine electors voted for George W. Bush and his running mate Dick Cheney.

Each state's number of electoral votes is determined by the combined total of its members in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate.12

Because every state is allocated two senators, the calculation is essentially the state's number of representatives plus two. While the number of senators is equal for every state, the number of representatives is apportioned based on the state's population as determined by the decennial census. Consequently, states with larger populations have more representatives and, therefore, more electoral votes.23

Additionally, the Twenty-third Amendment grants the District of Columbia electoral representation, allotting it three electoral votes.12