United States | NewsNationOnline. Americans vote for president every four years, but the winner is determined through the Electoral College rather than a single nationwide popular-vote total. Each state receives electoral votes based on its congressional representation, and Washington, D.C., also receives three. There are 538 electoral votes in total, with 270 normally needed to win. Most states award all their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the state’s popular vote; Maine and Nebraska use a different allocation method. Voters cast ballots in November, electors meet afterward, and Congress counts electoral votes before inauguration in January. Because the system operates state by state, a candidate can win the presidency without winning the most votes nationally. Understanding this distinction helps readers interpret election-night maps and results.
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