Electoral College Overview
From the Constitution: Article II, Section I:
Each state has a certain number of electors who cast votes in a Presidential election for that state.
As of October , 2012, there are 538 total electors.
To win the Presidency, a person must get 270 votes.
Senators
+ Representatives
Electors
Votes By State:
Every state has at least three electoral votes
California has the most with 55 votes
Currently seven states are tied with the lowest number, only having three votes
Every ten years, the United States takes a census to determine the population of the United States.
The results of the census determines the number of representatives each state will have in the House of Representatives.
After the census is taken in 2010, the number of representatives, as well as the number of electors, changed for several states.
