The President of the United States is elected by the Electoral College, not directly by the popular vote of citizens. The Electoral College consists of 538 electors, with each state having a number of electors equal to its total number of Senators and Representatives in Congress, plus three electors for the District of Columbia. To win the presidency, a candidate must receive a majority of at least 270 electoral votes. The process works as follows:
- Citizens in each state vote for their preferred presidential candidate.
- Based on the popular vote in each state, electors pledged to the winning candidate are chosen (the method varies by state but is currently based on popular vote).
- These electors meet in their respective state capitals in December to cast their votes for president and vice president.
- The electoral votes are then sent to Congress, where they are officially counted in a joint session in early January.
- If a candidate receives a majority of electoral votes, they are declared the winner.
- If no candidate receives a majority, the House of Representatives elects the president from among the top three candidates, and the Senate elects the vice president if needed
Thus, the president is elected by the members of the Electoral College, who are themselves chosen based on the popular vote in their states.
