Every four years tens of millions of Americans head to the polls to register their choice for President. But the election is much more than just a popular vote; it also involves a system of electoral college votes. It’s possible for a candidate to win the majority of national votes, but lose the election because of the electoral college (it has happened five times).
In the past, candidates with big popular vote majorities and complete or near-complete victory in each state have been considered likely to launch enduring changes in politics and policy. That is known as a “landslide” election.
Each state elects a fixed number of electoral college votes, and those votes are awarded to whichever candidate wins the most popular votes in each state. However, the voting rules in each state vary. Most states have a winner-takes-all rule, meaning that the candidate with the most votes receives all the state’s electoral votes. Some states, like Florida and Ohio, have a “split” vote, which means that some of the state’s electoral college votes are awarded to candidates who tie in the popular vote.
Once the candidates’ totals are calculated, the Democratic and Republican parties hold a series of primaries and caucuses to select their presidential nominee. Those winners then go to their party’s conventions to officially become the presidential and vice-presidential nominees. At the end of the conventions, delegates from around the country vote for their preferred candidate to become the nation’s next president and vice president.
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