The number of electors each state has in the U.S. Electoral College is determined by the total number of its Congressional delegation members. This includes:
- Two electors for its two U.S. Senators, plus
- A number of electors equal to the number of its U.S. Representatives, which is based on the state's population as determined by the U.S. Census conducted every 10 years.
Thus, each state’s electoral votes = 2 (Senators) + number of Representatives (population-based). Every state has at least three electoral votes because every state has two Senators and at least one Representative
. Additionally, the District of Columbia, though not a state, is allocated three electors under the 23rd Amendment, equal to the least populous states
. The apportionment of Representatives (and thus electoral votes) among states is recalculated after each Census using a method called the Method of Equal Proportions, which adjusts the number of congressional districts based on population shifts
. For example, California, with a large population, has 54 electoral votes (52 Representatives + 2 Senators), while smaller states like Wyoming have 3 electoral votes (1 Representative + 2 Senators)
. In summary:
- Electoral votes per state = Number of Senators (always 2) + Number of Representatives (based on population from Census)
- Total electoral votes nationwide = 538 (435 Representatives + 100 Senators + 3 for D.C.)
- Census data every 10 years determines changes in the number of Representatives and thus electoral votes per state
