What is the electoral vote vs the popular vote? (US)
In: Other
The president is elected by the people who vote for one or another candidate. But what they are really electing are delegates to the “electoral college” who then vote to actually elect the president. It can and has happened that a candidate may win the electoral vote but lose the popular vote, as each state has a certain number of electors (one per congressional representative plus one per senator) and the electors are pledged to vote as the state popular votes indicate. You will hear this described as “winning the state” This was all designed way back when it might take weeks for the electors to travel to Washington DC to cast their vote.
Latest Answers