The US uses an indirect election system. Each state gets Electoral Votes equal to its House Reps + 2 Senators.
Winner-Take-All System
In 48 states (plus DC), the candidate who gets the most popular votes wins 100% of that state's Electoral Votes. (Maine and Nebraska allocate proportionally, simplified here as WTA).
The Magic Number
270
Out of 538 total EV.
Tags
US GovElectionsSwing StatesFederalism
226
Democrat
219
Republican
93 TOSS-UP VOTES
Interactive Cartogram
Click any state tile to cycle its outcome: Dem ➔ Rep ➔ Toss-up.
Load Election Scenarios
The "Swing State" Effect
Because most states consistently vote one way ("Safe"), candidates spend over 90% of their campaign funds and visits in just 6-7 battleground states (PA, MI, WI, GA, NV, AZ, NC).