As the U.S. presidential election enters its final stretch, Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, are holding competing rallies across the nation. Both candidates are intensifying their efforts to secure the necessary support to win the 2024 election, though neither will be elected by popular vote alone. Instead, they are vying for a majority in the Electoral College, a distinctive feature of the U.S. electoral system.
Understanding the Electoral College
The U.S. Electoral College, a process unique to the world’s oldest modern democracy, ultimately decides the outcome of the presidential election. Rather than directly electing the president, American voters cast ballots on November 5 to choose a group of electors in each state. These electors, representing their respective states, will then meet to formally select the next president.
The Electoral College is made up of 538 electors. Each state’s number of electors is determined by its representation in Congress, combining its two Senators with the number of delegates it has in the House of Representatives. To win the presidency, a candidate must secure an absolute majority of 270 or more electoral votes. This structure is designed to balance influence across states with varying populations, ensuring smaller states still hold weight in the election.
The Winner-Takes-All System
Most states follow a winner-takes-all rule for allocating electoral votes, meaning that the candidate who wins the popular vote in a state secures all of its electoral votes. For example, if Trump wins a simple majority in Florida, he would receive all of the state’s electoral votes, regardless of the margin. Maine and Nebraska are the exceptions, distributing their votes proportionally.
This system can sometimes produce surprising results, as it allows a candidate to become president without necessarily winning the national popular vote. In recent history, both Trump in 2016 and George W. Bush in 2000 were elected through the Electoral College despite receiving fewer popular votes than their opponents, an outcome that has sparked debate and criticism over the fairness of the system.
Battleground States Hold the Key
In the current election, a handful of swing states—such as Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—are expected to play a crucial role. With narrow polling margins in these battlegrounds, both campaigns are focusing efforts on rallying voters and securing every possible delegate. These states are especially important because of their competitive nature; a slight edge in voter turnout or late-breaking support can tip the entire election.
The Importance of Every Vote
As the 2024 election draws to a close, the Electoral College underscores the significance of every vote. Each state’s delegation could ultimately swing the final outcome, reminding voters of the importance of turnout in the indirect election system. Trump and Harris’s rallies aim to energize their bases and sway undecided voters in these last days, with both campaigns aware that even a narrow lead in key states could determine the next U.S. president.
A Unique Electoral System
The Electoral College is both a defining and controversial aspect of American democracy. While it upholds a federal structure that emphasizes state representation, critics argue it sometimes distorts the popular vote’s impact. Regardless, this system remains a cornerstone of U.S. presidential elections, placing a strategic focus on states and turning the attention of both campaigns to the swing-state battlegrounds where votes will decide who will become the 47th president of the United States.
