The president and vice president are selected via electoral votes, which come from a combination of each state’s senators and House Representatives. mark reinstein / Shutterstock
When Americans vote in a presidential election, they aren’t directly voting for a candidate; they’re voting for electors who represent their state in the electoral college.
Each state gets a number of electoral votes equal to its number of U.S. Senators (always two) plus its Representatives in the House, which is based on population. This system means some states carry far more weight than others.
The total number of electoral college votes is 538, and a candidate needs a majority—270 votes—to be elected president. These electoral votes are allocated based on the decennial U.S. Census, and states can gain or lose electoral votes depending on population changes.
Here’s a breakdown of the states with the most electoral votes and why they matter in every presidential election.
