The Electoral College
- Established in the Constitution as a compromise between election of the president by a vote in Congress and a popular vote of qualified citizens.
- Consists of 538 electors, 270 electoral votes are required to be president.
- Each state is allotted the number of electors determined by the Constitution.
- When people vote in the election they are voting for their candidate’s electors in their state.
- Most states have a winner-take-all system for electors.
- The electors meet in their states on December 17, 2012 to vote for president and vice president.
- Those votes are counted in Congress on January 6.