What is the Electoral College? How does it work?

If you've ever watched Saturday morning cartoons and “Schoolhouse Rock,” you might know how to take your vote to college – the Electoral College.

As the 2024 presidential election comes to a close, here's what you need to know about the Electoral College and selecting a president.

When is Election Day 2024?

Election day is Tuesday, November 5th.

What is the Electoral College?

The Electoral College is not a place; It is the process by which the President of the United States is elected according to the Constitution.

According to the National Archives, the Electoral College was a compromise between electing a president by Congress and electing a president by popular vote.

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How does the electoral college work?

The Electoral College has 538 electors – to become president, a majority of 270 electoral votes is required. Each state has a set of electors. The number is determined by taking the number of senators in a state (2) and adding one for each member of the House of Representatives.

Delaware, for example, has three votes – two senators and one member of the House of Representatives. Delaware is one of seven states with three votes, the lowest number a state can have. California has the largest total at 54.

To put it simply, the candidate who wins the state, excluding Nebraska and Maine, wins all of the electoral votes for the state. In Maine and Nebraska, they award two electoral votes to the popular vote winner in the state and then one electoral vote to the popular vote winner in each congressional district.

After states certify the results, each state's electoral votes are counted in a joint session of Congress on January 6 of the year following the election. A joint session of Congress will be held in the House of Representatives to count the votes. The Vice President of the United States, as President of the Senate, presides over the counting in a strictly ministerial manner and announces the voting results. The President of the Senate then declares which persons, if any, have been elected President and Vice President of the United States.

What happens if there is a tie in the Electoral College?

If neither candidate receives 270 electoral votes, the election goes to the House of Representatives, with each state delegation having one vote. A majority of 26 votes is required for victory. The Senate elects the vice president – 51 votes are required to win the vice presidency. In theory, this means that the president and vice president could belong to different parties, which has not been the case since 1864.

Has a candidate ever won the popular vote and lost the election?

Yes, it happened a total of five times.

1824: Andrew Jackson won the popular vote. John Quincy Adams became president after winning a vote in the House of Representatives. There were four candidates in the race, all from the Democratic-Republican Party.
1876: Democratic candidate Samuel Tilden won the popular vote, but Republican Rutherford B. Hayes won the Electoral College vote 185 to 184.
1888: Democratic candidate Grover Cleveland won the popular vote by more than 90,000 votes, but lost the Electoral College to Republican Benjamin Harrison by a vote of 233 to 168. Cleveland came back in the next presidential election, winning and becoming the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms.
2000: Democratic candidate Al Gore won the popular vote by 500,000 votes, but Republican George W. Bush won the Electoral College by 271 votes to 266.
2016: Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton won the popular vote with 2.8 million votes. Donald Trump won the Electoral College with 304 votes to 227.

How to vote in Delaware

Once you've made a decision and it's time to go to the polls, here's what you need to know about voting in the First State:

When are polls open in Delaware?

Polls in Delaware open at 7 a.m. on Election Day and close at 8 p.m.

How do you find your polling place in Delaware?

You can check the Delaware Department of Elections website, enter your address and find your polling place.

What do I need to vote in Delaware?

At the polling station, an employee will ask you for proof of identity. Acceptable forms of identification include:

Valid photo ID
Copy of electricity bill
Bank statement
Government check, paycheck, or other government document showing your address

Is there early voting in Delaware?

Yes, early voting for the general election began October 25th and continues through November 3rd. Early voting sites will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the first five days of early voting and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the last five days of early voting. All registered voters may vote early .

Early voting sites in Delaware

New Castle County

Appoquinimink State Service Center, 122 Silver Lake Road, Middletown
Christina Crossing, 501 S. Walnut St., Suite 13, Wilmington (tentative)
Claymont Community Center, 3301 Green St., Claymont
Department of Elections Warehouse, 220 Lisa Drive, New Castle
Hudson State Service Center, 501 Ogletown Road, Newark
Police Athletic League, 3707 N. Market St., Wilmington

Kent County

BPOE #1903 Elks Lodge, 200 S. Saulsbury Road, Dover
Crossroad Christian Church, 4867 N. Dupont Highway, Dover
Frederica Senior Center, 216 Market St., Frederica
Harrington Parks & Recreation, 114 E. Liberty St., Harrington

Sussex County

American Legion Post 28 Millsboro, 31768 Legion Road, Millsboro
Department of Elections Warehouse, Georgetown, 542 S. Bedford St., Georgetown
Department of Elections Warehouse, Seaford, 200 Allen St., Seaford
Ellendale Fire Hall, 302 Main St., Ellendale
Laurel Fire Hall, 205 W. 10th St., Laurel
Margaret H. Rollins Community Center, 101 Adams Ave., Lewes
Millville Community Center, 32517 Dukes Drive, Millville
Roxana Fire Hall, 35943 Zion Church Road, Frankford