The Race to 270

It’s in the Constitution. The men who wrote the document in 1787 disagreed about how the president should be chosen. Some thought citizens should directly vote. Others worried that many people weren’t educated enough to decide. As a compromise, they came up with the Electoral College.

1/2  x  538  +  1  =  270

It’s one more than half of 538—the total number of people in the Electoral College.

It’s the group of people who officially elect the U.S. president. Each state sends electors who will make up the Electoral College. In 48 states, the candidate who wins the state’s popular vote gets all of its electoral votes. In Maine and Nebraska, electoral votes can be split across parties.

Each state has as many electors as it has senators and representatives in Congress. Every state has two senators. The 435 seats in the House of Representatives are assigned proportionally based on each state’s population. California has the most electors: 54. The least populous states and Washington, D.C., each get 3.

MATH TALK

How many electors does your state or district have? What does this tell you about your state’s population?