Register and confirm
Submit or update your registration, then check that the election authority has the correct record.
Choose your state Independent • Nonpartisan • Official links
Your vote starts
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.
Take action
Register to vote in your state
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.
You vote
Your presidential vote helps determine which slate of electors your state appoints.
States certify
Election officials canvass and certify results under state and federal law.
Electors meet
Electors meet in their states and vote separately for president and vice president.
Congress counts
Congress counts the certified electoral votes in a joint session on January 6.
Inauguration
The president-elect and vice president-elect take office at noon on January 20.
How states get electors
Each state receives one elector for every U.S. representative plus two for its senators. Washington, D.C. receives three under the 23rd Amendment.
Winner-take-all—and two exceptions
Forty-eight states and D.C. award all electoral votes to the statewide winner. Maine and Nebraska use a district-based method, with two votes awarded statewide.
If nobody reaches 270
The House chooses the president from the top three electoral-vote recipients, with each state delegation casting one vote. The Senate chooses the vice president from the top two.
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.