- Each state chooses electors to serve in the electoral college. In turn, these electors formally select the president. The number of electors reflect the number of senators and representatives that a state has in Congress, plus Washington, D.C.'s three electoral votes.
- Each elector casts one vote in a presidential election. As the most densely populated states, California and Texas are entitled to the most electoral votes, 55 and 38 respectively.
There are eight states, including Alaska, that only have three electoral votes -- the minimal number of electoral votes. - Washington, D.C. is an exception to this rule. Although Washington, D.C. has three electoral votes, it is not a state, but rather is governed by the federal government. D.C. has a non-voting congressional delegate, but no senators. D.C.'s electoral votes were declared in 1961 in the 23rd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
- General elections are normally held in November, although the president is not formally sworn in until January. Once the results of the election have been finalized, electors prepare and send Certificates of Ascertainment to the Archivist of the United States. This is merely a formality and cannot change the result of the general election. Electors must vote for the presidential candidate of the party they represent.
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