You can think of the election for President as 51 separate elections (one for each state and Washington, D.C.). To win a state, a candidate must win the majority of the people’s votes – which is called the popular vote. In most states, the winner of the state’s popular vote takes all of that state’s electoral votes.
Each state has a certain number of electoral votes, based on how many people live in the state. States with the most people have the most electoral votes.
The total number of electoral votes from all the states is 538. To become President, a candidate must win at least 270 electoral votes. In December, after the General Election, the “Electoral College” officially counts the electoral votes (but in fact, we already know who the winner is). The winner will take office in January 2005.
Your vote for President really matters because just a few people’s votes can decide if a candidate wins all of a state's electoral votes. Elections for President have been very close and each state makes a big difference.
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