What Is the Electoral College?
The Electoral College is a process, not a place which consists of the selection by a group of electors who officially choose the president and vice president of the United States. The political parties usually select their own candidates for electors.
On Election Day, people vote for these delegates to the Electoral College when they vote for the presidential candidates. The successful electors then cast their votes for their party’s candidate.
A presidential candidate needs a majority of all the electoral votes to be declared winner. The winning candidate is formally elected when Congress counts these votes.
The Electoral College consists of 538 electors. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President.
Each candidate running for President has his or her own group of electors. The electors are generally chosen by the candidate’s political party, but state laws vary on how the electors are selected and what their responsibilities are.
The presidential election is held every four years on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.