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with your state.
Choose your state to reach official voter-registration information, then learn how votes become 538 electoral votes.
Find your state538total electors
270needed to win
5150 states + D.C.
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Choose a state or Washington, D.C. to see voter information here first, with clear links to the official government services that maintain current rules and deadlines.
Alabama9 electoral votesAlaska3 electoral votesArizona11 electoral votesArkansas6 electoral votesCalifornia54 electoral votesColorado10 electoral votesConnecticut7 electoral votesDelaware3 electoral votesFlorida30 electoral votesGeorgia16 electoral votesHawaii4 electoral votesIdaho4 electoral votesIllinois19 electoral votesIndiana11 electoral votesIowa6 electoral votesKansas6 electoral votesKentucky8 electoral votesLouisiana8 electoral votesMaine4 electoral votesMaryland10 electoral votesMassachusetts11 electoral votesMichigan15 electoral votesMinnesota10 electoral votesMississippi6 electoral votesMissouri10 electoral votesMontana4 electoral votesNebraska5 electoral votesNevada6 electoral votesNew Hampshire4 electoral votesNew Jersey14 electoral votesNew Mexico5 electoral votesNew York28 electoral votesNorth Carolina16 electoral votesNorth Dakota3 electoral votesOhio17 electoral votesOklahoma7 electoral votesOregon8 electoral votesPennsylvania19 electoral votesRhode Island4 electoral votesSouth Carolina9 electoral votesSouth Dakota3 electoral votesTennessee11 electoral votesTexas40 electoral votesUtah6 electoral votesVermont3 electoral votesVirginia13 electoral votesWashington12 electoral votesWest Virginia4 electoral votesWisconsin10 electoral votesWyoming3 electoral votesWashington, D.C.3 electoral votes
Voter education
Make a plan based on official information
Registration is the beginning. Learn what to verify before you vote and where to find help for your circumstances.
Choose how to vote
Review official options for Election Day, early in-person, and mail or absentee voting.
Build your voting planPrepare your checklist
Confirm your location, hours, identification rules, ballot instructions, and assistance options.
Read the voter guideUnderstand the result
Learn how presidential votes lead to the appointment and counting of electors.
Learn the processThe essentials
How the Electoral College works
It is a constitutional process—not a place. Voters choose among presidential candidates, and the results determine appointed electors. Select any item below to read more.
01You vote
When you vote for a presidential candidate, you are also supporting that candidate’s pledged slate of electors in your state. The popular vote within the state determines which electors are appointed under that state’s rules.
02States certify
After polls close, local and state election officials count, review, and canvass the results. States resolve challenges under applicable law and certify the final totals before appointing their electors.
03Electors meet
In December, the appointed electors meet in their respective states rather than in one national gathering. They cast separate ballots for president and vice president, and certified records of those votes are sent to designated federal and state officials.
04Congress counts
Congress meets in a joint session on January 6 to count the certified electoral votes from every state and Washington, D.C. The vice president presides over the session, and the candidates who receive a majority of the appointed electoral votes are formally declared elected.
05Inauguration
The president-elect and vice president-elect take the oath of office at noon on January 20. This marks the end of the election process and the beginning of the new four-year presidential term.
How states get electors
Each state receives one elector for every member of its congressional delegation: one for each U.S. representative and two for its senators. A state’s number of representatives is based on population, so electoral-vote totals can change after the census and congressional reapportionment. Washington, D.C. receives three electors under the 23rd Amendment.
Winner-take-all—and two exceptions
Forty-eight states and Washington, D.C. generally award all their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the statewide popular vote. Maine and Nebraska use a district-based method: one electoral vote is awarded to the winner in each congressional district, while two are awarded to the statewide winner. This means their electoral votes can be divided between candidates.
If nobody reaches 270
If no presidential candidate receives a majority of the appointed electoral votes, the election moves to the House of Representatives. The House chooses from the top three presidential candidates, with each state delegation casting one vote; a majority of states is required to win. The Senate separately chooses the vice president from the top two vice-presidential candidates, with each senator casting one vote.
What else should I know?
Does ElectoralVote.com register voters?
No. We explain the process and link to official services. We do not accept applications, access voter records, or collect the personal information used to register.
What should I do after moving?
Use your election authority’s official service to update your address and confirm where you are registered. Rules and deadlines depend on the jurisdiction.
How do I know my registration is active?
Use the official status-check tool linked from your state guide. If the record appears incorrect, contact the state or local election office.
Why aren’t all deadlines printed here?
Deadlines can differ by election and registration method. We send readers to the responsible government source for current dates.
Who can answer a question about my ballot?
Your state or local election office can help with an individual registration, ballot, polling place, eligibility question, or local procedure.
Am I voting directly for president?
Your ballot names presidential candidates, but legally your vote helps select your state’s pledged slate of electors.
Can the popular-vote winner lose?
Yes. The presidency is decided by electoral votes, so the national popular-vote winner does not necessarily win the Electoral College.
What is a “faithless elector”?
It is an elector who votes differently from their pledge. State laws vary; an elector may be replaced or penalized, and such votes have never changed the outcome.
When does the electoral vote happen?
Electors meet in their respective states in December. Congress formally counts their certified votes in January following the election.
Why does 270 win?
There are 538 electors. A majority is more than half, so the winning threshold is 270.
Verify at the source
Official election resources
Facts are summarized from public U.S. government materials and linked for verification.