Question

How many Electoral College votes does a candidate need to become president? (A) 232 (B) 270 (C) 306 (D) 538

Short answer

(B) 270

Step-by-step solution

Understand the Electoral College system

There are 538 Electoral College votes available in a US presidential election. It's allocated based on the number of representatives a state has in the House of Representatives, plus two senators. The candidate who wins the majority of electoral votes becomes the president.

Identify the majority of votes needed

To obtain the majority of the votes, a candidate needs at least half of the total votes plus one. To calculate this, we can first find half of the total votes and then add one to determine the minimum number of votes necessary to secure a majority.

Calculate the majority of Electoral College votes

Since there are 538 electoral votes in total, we need to find half of that number and then add one. Using the equation: \( \text{Majority votes} = \frac{\text{Total votes}}{2} + 1 \) Plugging in the total number of electoral votes (538), we get: \( \text{Majority votes} = \frac{538}{2} + 1 \) Now, we need to calculate the result.

Determine the answer

Performing the calculation: \( \text{Majority votes} = \frac{538}{2} + 1 = 269 + 1 = 270 \) Thus, to become president, a candidate needs 270 Electoral College votes. Based on the options provided, the correct answer is (B) 270.

Key concepts

U.S. presidential election

The U.S. presidential election is a complex process that includes multiple steps, culminating in the selection of the Commander-in-Chief through the Electoral College system. Unlike other countries that may use a direct popular vote, the United States uses a representative electoral system to determine its president.

To begin understanding this process, it is essential to recognize that the presidential election occurs every four years, on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November. Candidates from various political parties campaign across the country to win the favor of the American public. However, the actual determination of the winner goes through the Electoral College, which includes a body of electors from each state. The number of electors from each state is equal to the sum of its U.S. Senators and House Representatives.

This system means that while the public casts their votes, what they are really doing is voting for electors who have pledged to vote for a particular candidate. This indirect method of electing the president often causes confusion and can lead to scenarios where a candidate wins the popular vote but loses the election due to the distribution of the Electoral College votes.

Electoral College votes

The concept of Electoral College votes is central to the U.S. presidential election process. Each state has a certain number of electoral votes, which are determined based on its representation in Congress. For instance, a state with two senators and ten representatives in the House will have twelve Electoral College votes.

There are a total of 538 Electoral College votes, which is the sum of the 435 representatives in the House, 100 senators, and an additional three votes from the District of Columbia, as granted by the 23rd Amendment. It's important to note that the Electoral College is not a place but a process. After Election Day, the chosen electors will meet in their respective states to cast their votes. These votes are then sent to Congress to be officially counted in a joint session, presided over by the sitting Vice President.

Because the distribution of electoral votes corresponds to congressional representation, states with more substantial populations like California, Texas, and Florida wield more electoral power than less populous states. This disproportionality is often a point of discussion regarding the fairness of the Electoral College system.

majority of electoral votes

To win the U.S. presidency, a candidate must secure a majority of electoral votes. But what does this majority entail? A majority means more than half. With a total of 538 electoral votes in play, a simple majority requires one vote over half, which is where the number 270 originates.

Since electors often vote according to their state's popular vote, candidates focus their campaign efforts on winning enough states to accumulate at least 270 Electoral College votes. This is why certain 'swing states' can become such critical battlegrounds in the election, as their electoral votes can pivot the overall count towards one candidate or another.

Achieving this majority is imperative as failing to do so would send the election to the U.S. House of Representatives to choose the president, with each state delegation having one vote. This provision is part of the 12th Amendment and has only rarely come into play. Given the importance of obtaining the majority, candidates aim to strategize their campaigns to appeal to a broad base across multiple states, thereby maximizing their chances of hitting the crucial 270 mark.