What is the electoral college? What are electoral votes? How many electoral votes does one candidate need to win the election? How does the electoral vote system work? How many electoral votes does each state get? These and many more are current questions on most people's minds, as well as mine. With the actual voting process for the 2008 presidential election over, the focus now shifts to the electoral college who will choose the next president and vice president of the United States. But how does this system work? We have heard it frequently discussed in the news during election time but obviously, we didn't really pay much attention, did we? Now, in the most significant presidential election of our lives, we are suddenly interested. Written below is what I have found out about this process.

The electoral college is an example of indirect election wherein representatives of voters decide the outcome of the election. Rather than directly voting for the president and vice
president, voters cast votes for electors. Electors are technically free to vote for anyone eligible to be president, but in practice pledge to vote for specific candidates. In the United States, the electoral college consists of 538 popularly elected representatives who will choose the president and the vice president on December 15, 2008.

The size of the electoral college is equal to the total membership of both Houses of Congress (435 Representatives and 100 Senators plus the three electors allocated to Washington, D.C.), totaling 538 electors, selected on a state-by-state basis, as determined by the laws of each state. Each state is allocated as many electors as it has representatives and senators in the United States Congress. Since the most populous states have the most seats in the House of Representatives, they also have the most electors. The six states with the most electors are California (55), Texas (34), New York (31), Florida (27), Illinois (21) and Pennsylvania (21). The seven smallest states by population—Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming—have three electors each.

2008 Electoral Vote Map by State/Federal District

Each state uses its statewide popular vote on election day to appoint electors. Although ballots list the names of the presidential candidates, voters within the 50 states and Washington, D.C. actually choose electors for their state when they vote for president and vice president. These presidential electors in turn cast electoral votes for those two offices. Even though the aggregate national popular vote is calculated by state officials and media organizations, the national popular vote is not the basis for electing a president or vice president.

Each elector casts one vote for president and one vote for vice president. In order to be elected, a candidate must have a majority (at least 270) of the electoral votes cast for that office. Should no candidate for president win a majority of the electoral votes, the choice is referred to the House of Representatives. Should no candidate for vice president possess a majority of the electoral votes, the choice is given to the Senate.

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