Americans do not directly elect the president. Instead, they vote for electors who then cast the official votes. Each state gets electors equal to its number of U.S. Representatives plus its 2 Senators. A candidate needs 270 of 538 electoral votes to win.
How It Works
Election Day
Citizens vote for president in each state and D.C. on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
State Results Certified
Each state certifies its popular vote results and identifies the winning candidate.
Electors Meet
In mid-December, electors meet in their state capitals to cast their official votes.
Congress Counts
On January 6, Congress meets in joint session to count electoral votes and declare the winner.
Contested & Close Elections
John Quincy Adams defeated Andrew Jackson
No candidate won a majority. The House chose Adams over Jackson, who had won the most electoral and popular votes.
Rutherford B. Hayes defeated Samuel Tilden
Disputed results in three Southern states were resolved by a partisan commission. Hayes won by one electoral vote.
Benjamin Harrison defeated Grover Cleveland
Cleveland won the popular vote but Harrison won the Electoral College by carrying key swing states.
George W. Bush defeated Al Gore
The Florida recount was halted by the Supreme Court (Bush v. Gore). Bush won Florida by 537 votes.
Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton
Clinton won the popular vote by nearly 3 million, but Trump won the Electoral College by carrying swing states.