WHY 270 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER

AMERICANS do not directly elect their president but rather the people who will vote on their behalf.

The Electoral College is made up of 538 electors, corresponding to the number of Congress members plus three delegates from the District of Columbia. Each state’s number of votes is partly based on population. To win, a candidate needs 270 or more. Under the system a candidate can win most votes nationally and lose. In 2016, Hillary Clinton got almost three million more votes than Donald Trump but he won 304 electoral college places to her 227. If neither candidate gets to 270, Congress picks the winner.