The electoral vote process has been described as a vestige of the American political systems of two centuries ago. However, it remains the way presidents are selected, rather than on the basis of total votes gathered. There are 538 electoral votes, and it takes 270 to win the presidency.
The media is full of maps of the electoral landscape. Some of the states are considered safe for candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump. This includes New York and California among the largest states for Biden. Trump’s position is considered safe in states such as Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia.
Some of the so-called battleground states have a large number of electoral votes. In states where polls put the two candidates in a relatively close race, Pennsylvania has 20, Ohio has 18, Michigan has 16, North Carolina has 15, Wisconsin has 10 and Arizona has nine. Among them, those 88 electoral votes could clearly determine the election.
Electoral votes are determined by state population. Article II, Section 1, Clause 2 of the Constitution determines both the role of the electors and how the count is made. The total is very close to the number of Senators and members of the U.S. House of Representatives, which adds to 535. The House count is also based on state population.
This is the number of electoral votes each state and the District of Columbia have:
| State | Electoral Votes |
|---|---|
| California | 55 |
| Texas | 38 |
| Florida | 29 |
| New York | 29 |
| Illinois | 20 |
| Pennsylvania | 20 |
| Ohio | 18 |
| Georgia | 16 |
| Michigan | 16 |
| North Carolina | 15 |
| New Jersey | 14 |
| Virginia | 13 |
| Arizona | 11 |
| Tennessee | 11 |
| Indiana | 11 |
| Massachusetts | 11 |
| Washington | 10 |
| Minnesota | 10 |
| Missouri | 10 |
| Wisconsin | 10 |
| Maryland | 10 |
| Colorado | 9 |
| Alabama | 9 |
| South Carolina | 9 |
| Kentucky | 8 |
| Oregon | 7 |
| Oklahoma | 7 |
| Connecticut | 7 |
| Nevada | 6 |
| Utah | 6 |
| Kansas | 6 |
| Iowa | 6 |
| Arkansas | 6 |
| Louisiana | 6 |
| Mississippi | 6 |
| New Mexico | 5 |
| Nebraska | 5 |
| West Virginia | 5 |
| Idaho | 4 |
| Rhode Island | 4 |
| New Hampshire | 4 |
| Maine | 4 |
| Hawaii | 4 |
| Montana | 3 |
| Wyoming | 3 |
| South Dakota | 3 |
| North Dakota | 3 |
| Washington, D.C. | 3 |
| Delaware | 3 |
| Vermont | 3 |
| Alaska | 3 |
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