AP Syllabus focus:
‘The Electoral College is part of the presidential election process, translating state-level results into electoral votes for president.’
The Electoral College is the constitutional mechanism the United States uses to choose the president and vice president. It converts state-by-state election outcomes into electoral votes, creating a national winner without a single nationwide vote count.
What the Electoral College is
The Constitution establishes an indirect election in which states appoint electors who formally choose the president.
Electoral College: The state-based system that selects the president through electors allocated to each state, with victory requiring a majority of electoral votes rather than necessarily the national popular vote.
This design reflects federalism (states as key units in elections) and a compromise between election by Congress and election by popular vote.
Allocating electoral votes to states
Each state’s electoral vote total equals its representation in Congress.
Electors per state = House members (based on population) + 2 Senators
The District of Columbia receives electors by the 23rd Amendment
Total electors today: 538
A candidate must win a majority to be elected: 270
This National Archives allocation table lists each state’s electoral vote total and highlights the system-wide totals (538 electors, 270 needed for a majority). It reinforces the rule that a state’s electoral votes equal its congressional representation (House seats plus two Senators), linking population-based apportionment to Electoral College math. Source
Because House seats are reapportioned after each census, the distribution of electoral votes can change over time.
This hex cartogram depicts states sized by their electoral vote totals, making it easy to see how Electoral College power is distributed across the country. Used alongside your text, it helps students connect reapportionment-driven changes in House seats to changes in electoral vote weights over time. Source
Choosing electors: the general election step
On Election Day, voters are technically voting for a slate of electors pledged to a presidential ticket. In practice, ballots list the candidates’ names, but the legal effect is the selection of electors.
Key mechanics:
States control many election details (ballot access, certification timelines), but the Electoral College framework is constitutional.
In nearly all states, the candidate who wins the state’s popular vote receives that state’s electors under winner-take-all rules.
Maine and Nebraska use a district-based method (some electors awarded by congressional district, plus statewide electors), which can split electoral votes.
From state results to electoral votes
The Electoral College “translates state-level results into electoral votes” by treating each state contest as a discrete outcome that awards electors under state law.
This translation has important consequences:
Candidates focus on competitive “battleground” states where shifting a small number of votes can change the entire electoral vote award.
Winning the national popular vote does not automatically guarantee winning the Electoral College, because the decisive unit is the state outcome.
Casting and counting electoral votes
After the general election, the process continues in several steps.
Meeting of electors
Electors meet in their respective states (not as one national body).
They cast separate ballots for president and vice president.
States produce official documents called Certificates of Vote and related certifications.
This figure shows sample Electoral College paperwork: a Certificate of Ascertainment (which identifies the appointed electors and records the state’s popular-vote results) and a Certificate of Vote (which records the electors’ actual votes for president and vice president). Seeing both documents helps clarify how state-certified results become the official evidence used in the congressional count. Source
Congressional count and certification
Electoral vote certificates are sent to federal officials and then counted in a joint session of Congress.
The presiding officer opens the certificates, and votes are tallied to determine whether any ticket reached 270.
States may have laws addressing “faithless electors” (electors who do not vote for their pledged candidate), but the key point for AP US Government is that electors cast the formal votes that decide the presidency.
What happens if nobody wins 270
If no candidate wins a majority of electoral votes, the election is decided by Congress through a contingent election under the 12th Amendment.
Contingent election basics
The House of Representatives chooses the president from the top three electoral vote-getters.
Each state delegation gets one vote in the House (so a majority of states is required to elect).
The Senate chooses the vice president from the top two vice-presidential electoral vote-getters, with each senator casting one vote.
This procedure reinforces the Electoral College’s state-centered structure even in a deadlock.
FAQ
They use a “district plan” adopted through state law to tie some electors to congressional district outcomes.
This can produce split electoral votes when statewide and district results differ.
Congress can regulate some timing and procedural elements (for example, counting procedures) through statutes.
Changing the core constitutional structure—such as eliminating the Electoral College—would require a constitutional amendment.
A faithless elector is an elector who does not vote for the candidate they were pledged to support.
Their significance depends on state enforcement rules and the election margin; in very close outcomes, a small number could matter.
Electors vote on a set date after the general election, meeting in their own states rather than gathering in one national location.
This preserves the state-based character of the system.
Disputes occur at the state level because states certify which slate of electors is appointed.
Court challenges and recounts can affect certification, which in turn affects which electoral votes Congress ultimately counts.
Practice Questions
(2 marks) Describe one way the Electoral College translates state-level election results into electoral votes for president.
1 mark: Identifies that states award electors based on state popular vote outcomes.
1 mark: Correctly describes a translation rule (e.g., winner-take-all in most states or district allocation in Maine/Nebraska).
(6 marks) Explain how a candidate can win the presidency through the Electoral College, including (a) how electoral votes are allocated to states and (b) what happens if no candidate receives a majority.
2 marks: Allocation explained: electors per state equals House seats + 2 senators; may mention DC gets electors via the 23rd Amendment.
1 mark: Notes total of 538 electoral votes and/or majority threshold of 270.
1 mark: Explains that states (usually) award electors based on the state popular vote (typically winner-take-all).
2 marks: No-majority outcome explained: contingent election under the 12th Amendment; House chooses president by state delegations and Senate chooses vice president.
