(MENAFN- Live Mint) US elections 2024 : As the stage is set for the United States, the world's largest economy, to elect its 41st President, Democratic nominee and US Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald trump are already facing a neck-and-neck battle in key swing states, according to reports.
About 1.4 million US citizens have voted in the presidential election, according to The Guardian. The catch, however, lies in the fact that even if all these citizens voted for either Democrat Harris or Republican Trump , she or he may still not become the president. This is because the US follows the Electoral College system.
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Mint brings you an explainer in five points about the Electoral College.
US Elections 2024: What is the Electoral College system?
US presidents are not elected by the national popular vote, which is the total number of votes each candidate receives.
2. On the contrary, a group of 538“electors” select the president. These electors make up the Electoral College. Very often, the electors are party officials or supporters.
3. To win the White House , a presidential candidate must win the support of a majority of the electors. Out of the 538 Electoral College votes, a presidential candidate would need at least 270 votes to win. These electors ultimately cast their votes in December, roughly a month after the election, which is then certified by Congress in early January.
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4. To become a president in the United States, a candidate has to garner support from enough swing states to achieve the magical '270' mark. Effectively, a candidate who wins the popular vote, the maximum votes in total across the country, may not actually win the White House.
5. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's loss to Donald Trump in the US Elections 2016 is a classic example of how the Electoral College can magnify a win into a landslide. Trump defeated Clinton 304-227 despite receiving 2.8 million fewer popular votes. Democratic candidate Al Gore had a similar fate in 2000 when he lost the White House despite winning the maximum number of votes.
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