Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Electoral College
Table of Contents
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?
Guide to U.S. presidential election results American presidential election, 1789 American presidential election, 2000 United States: 2000 presidential election American presidential election, 2004 results of the American presidential election, 2008
For Students
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
Read Next
United States elections portal page linking to each election interactive
A History of U.S. Presidential Elections in Maps
United States electoral college map showing number of electoral votes by state.
How Does the Electoral College Work?
United States Electoral College votes by state
How Many Electoral College Votes Does Each U.S. State Have?
Artwork for themes for Pro-Con articles.
Pro and Con: Electoral College
Andrew Jackson delivering a speech while on his way to Washington, D.C., for his inauguration in 1829. From Harper's Weekly, 1881.
5 Remarkably Close U.S. Presidential Elections
Discover
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addresses marchers during his "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. August 28th 1963
Was Martin Luther King, Jr., a Republican or a Democrat?
jeans, denim, pants, clothing
Why Do We Say “A Pair of Pants”?
The Lost Colony of Roanoke, North Carolina, where 115 people mysteriously disappeared c. 1590. John White discovers the word Croatoan carved onto a tree upon his return to the deserted Roanoke Colony in 1590
The Lost Colony of Roanoke
Indian hijras participate in a religious procession in Gandhinagar, India, some 30 kilometers from Ahmedabad, on March 22, 2017. Hijra is a term used in South Asia which refers to transgender individuals who are born male. (gender identity, gender expression)
6 Cultures That Recognize More than Two Genders
A tornado in rural Iowa sweeps dangerously near a farm. Weather storm
Why Does the United States Have More Tornadoes than Any Other Country?
Washington, D.C. locator map.
What State Is Washington, D.C. In?
United States Presidential Election of 2012. Mitt Romney. Official portrait of President Barack Obama in the Oval Office, Dec. 6, 2012 after his reelection Nov. 6, 2012. Official portrait Obama
10 Democrats Who Made History
Alabama certificate showing the state's electors' votes
Alabama certificate showing the state's electors' votes 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.

Electoral College

United States
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://flowkick.top/topic/electoral-college
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
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
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
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. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: • Article History

News •

Democrats’ future crisis: The biggest states that back them are shrinking • Jan. 17, 2025, 12:54 AM ET (PBS)
New Hampshire could become third state to split Electoral College votes. What to know • Jan. 16, 2025, 1:17 AM ET (USA Today)
Trump’s presidential transition • Jan. 8, 2025, 4:03 AM ET (CNN)
How Congress will certify Trump's Electoral College victory on Jan. 6 • Jan. 4, 2025, 11:47 AM ET (AP)

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 the end of the convention by the Committee on Unfinished Parts, chaired by David Brearley of New Jersey, to provide a system that would select ...(100 of 1455 words)

Access the full article
Help support true facts by becoming a member.