Understanding the Electoral College System

The Electoral College is a unique system used in U.S. presidential elections, where citizens vote for electors who then cast votes for a president, rather than voting directly for a candidate. It consists of 538 electors, with each state allocated a number based on its congressional representation. Most states employ a winner-takes-all approach, meaning that the candidate who wins the popular vote in that state receives all its electoral votes, though states like Maine and Nebraska use a proportional system. This structure was designed as a compromise to address concerns about electing the president either through direct popular vote or by Congress, aiming to balance representation across different states and prevent corruption.