In the 2000 U.S. presidential election, for example, more Americans voted for Gore, but Bush actually won the presidency because he was awarded the majority of Electoral College votes. The Electoral College was intended to be a solution to this. Because Electoral College representation is based on congressional representation, states with larger populations get more Electoral College votes.

The Electoral College consists of a total of 538 members, one for each U.S. senator and representative, and three additional electors representing the District of Columbia. Should none of the candidates win 270 electoral votes, the 12th Amendment mandates the election be decided by the House of Representatives . For some of us, the Electoral College process (and its outcome) may seem a bit shocking. Each state has a number of electoral votes equal to the combined total of its congressional delegation, and each state legislature is free to determine the method it will use to select its own electors.