Each state is provided a number of votes that are cast during this process based on their total number of representatives in the government. Votes are cast by each state, using a slate of electors . Each elector votes for two persons. It is important to note that the electoral college is not a place but a process. Initially, in the electoral college, electors vote for president. The person with the greatest number (must be a majority) of votes won the presidency; the person with the second most votes became the vice president. Under the current rules of the Electoral College, a total of 270 electoral votes is required for an election to be finalized. In 48 states, electoral votes are apportioned on a winner-takes-all basis, while Maine and Nebraska allocate electoral votes by congressional district, with two additional votes reserved for the statewide winner. Start studying electoral college process.

Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. A look at the electoral votes from each state and a little math will show you how. The Electoral College system also distinguishes the United States from other systems where the highest vote-getter automatically wins. The Electoral College is a body of electors established by the United States Constitution, which forms every four years for the sole purpose of electing the president and vice president of the United States.The Electoral College consists of 538 electors, and an absolute majority of at least 270 electoral votes is required to win the election. If there was no majority vote getter, it went to the house where each state got one vote. Critics of the Electoral College system point out that the system allows the possibility of a candidate actually losing the nationwide popular vote but being elected president by the electoral vote. There is no maximum number of votes. The Electoral College is an indirect system for electing the United States president using Electoral College votes.