The Electoral College is how the president of the United States is elected. In the U.S., there are 538 votes up for grabs between all 50 states and the District of Columbia. To win the election, a candidate needs to secure 270 electoral votes which is the majority of the College.

In this article, we will learn about the difference between the Electoral College and popular votes in the U.S. presidential election.

With the Electoral College really only relevant in politics every four years, Americans can be forgiven for forgetting its ins and outs. Here’s a refresher on what it does and why it matters.

One of the quirks of the U.S. election process is that one candidate can win the popular vote but another can win the electoral vote and thus the presidency.

The Electoral College is a 538-member body that elects a president. The framers of the Constitution set it up to give more power to the states and as a compromise to avoid having Congress decide the winner.

There are 538 total electoral votes: 535 for the states plus the District's three. To become president, a candidate needs a majority of at least 270 electoral votes.

Out of the 538 electoral votes, California has 54. The formula determining the number of Electoral College votes is the number of U.S. senators — each state has two — along with the state's number of members in the House of Representatives, which in California is 52.