Electors are chosen in two steps. First, each party in each state picks a slate of electors, usually at a state convention or by a party committee. Then, in November, voters decide which party’s slate represents the state: when you vote for a presidential ticket, you’re really voting for its electors. In 48 states and DC the statewide winner’s entire slate is appointed, while Maine and Nebraska split theirs by congressional district.
The Constitution leaves most of the details to the states, and federal law sets the calendar after Election Day. Here’s the whole path, from nomination to the count in Congress.
How many electors does each state get? #
Each state gets as many electors as it has members of Congress: two for its senators plus one for each House seat. The 23rd Amendment gives DC three. That makes 538 electors, and a candidate needs 270, a majority, to win.
The numbers change after each census, when House seats are reapportioned. The 2020 census set the counts used in 2024 and 2028; the 2030 census will reset them for 2032. See how the census changes the Electoral College map.
Step 1: How do parties nominate electors? #
Every party with a presidential candidate on a state’s ballot nominates a full slate, one person per electoral vote, plus alternates in many states. How they do it depends on state law and party rules:
- State party conventions. The most common method. Delegates vote on the slate, often in the spring or summer of the election year.
- State party committees. A central committee picks the slate.
- The campaign. In a few states, the presidential candidate or campaign names the electors.
Parties pick loyal people: officeholders, longtime activists, donors and local party leaders. That loyalty is a big reason electors almost always vote as pledged.
Who can’t be an elector? #
The Constitution sets only a few limits:
- Members of Congress can’t serve.
- Anyone holding “an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States” can’t serve, which covers federal officials and employees.
- Section 3 of the 14th Amendment bars anyone who took an oath to support the Constitution and then engaged in insurrection, unless Congress removes that bar by a two-thirds vote.
States can add their own requirements. Most require electors to be registered voters in the state, and many require them to sign a pledge.
Step 2: How do voters choose the electors? #
On Election Day you vote for a presidential and vice presidential ticket. In most states the electors’ names don’t appear on the ballot at all, but by law your vote goes to the slate pledged to that ticket.
Winner-take-all #
In 48 states and DC, the ticket that wins the most votes statewide gets its whole slate appointed. Win a state by a single vote and you get every one of its electors. That’s why campaigns focus so heavily on a handful of close states.
Maine and Nebraska #
Maine and Nebraska give two electors to the statewide winner and one to the winner of each congressional district. Both states have split their votes in recent elections. Our guide to how Maine and Nebraska split electoral votes covers every split and the fights over the system.
What happens after Election Day? #
The Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022 rewrote much of the post-election process after the disputes over the 2020 count. Here’s the sequence, with the dates for 2028:
| Step | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Counting and certification | November and early December | Counties and states count and certify the popular vote |
| Certificate of ascertainment | At least 6 days before electors meet (Dec. 13, 2028) | The governor, unless state law names someone else, certifies which slate won |
| Electors meet | First Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December (Dec. 19, 2028) | Electors meet in each state capital and cast separate ballots for president and vice president |
| Certificates sent | Right after the vote | Signed certificates go to the president of the Senate, the Archivist and other officials |
| Congress counts | Jan. 6, 2029 | A joint session opens and counts the votes |
The 2022 law replaced the old “safe harbor” framework with a firmer deadline for governors’ certificates and a faster court process for challenges. Our explainer on the safe harbor deadline covers what changed.
The count in Congress #
The vice president, as president of the Senate, presides over the January 6 joint session, but the 2022 law makes that role “solely ministerial”: the vice president can’t accept or reject electors. Objections to a state’s votes now need the signatures of at least one-fifth of the House and one-fifth of the Senate before either chamber will debate them.
If no one reaches 270, the House picks the president, with each state delegation casting one vote, and the Senate picks the vice president.
Can electors vote for someone else? #
Rarely, and less and less. Most states require electors to vote for the candidate who won their state, and 14 states cancel a faithless vote and replace the elector on the spot. The Supreme Court upheld those laws in Chiafalo v. Washington (2020). No faithless elector has ever changed an outcome, and there were none in 2020 or 2024. We cover the history in can electors change their vote?.
How do you follow the next presidential race? #
The electors for 2028 won’t be chosen for another two years, but the race for the nominations is already polling. Election Tracker has a 2028 Primary tab with separate Republican and Democratic fields, each with its own polling average and trend, and it shows presidential approval as a 7-day average. Every poll lists the pollster, sample size and dates. It’s free on iPhone and doesn’t need an account.
Frequently asked questions #
How many electors are there? #
There are 538: one for each of the 435 House members and 100 senators, plus three for DC. A candidate needs 270 to win.
Do electors’ names appear on the ballot? #
Usually not. Most states list only the presidential and vice presidential candidates, and a vote for a ticket counts as a vote for its electors. A few states print a note explaining that.
Can a member of Congress be an elector? #
No. The Constitution bars senators, representatives and anyone holding a federal office of trust or profit from serving as electors.
When do electors vote in 2028? #
On Tuesday, December 19, 2028, the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December. Congress counts the votes on January 6, 2029.
Are electors paid? #
Not much, if at all. Some states cover travel or a small per diem for the day electors meet; others pay nothing. It’s treated as an honor rather than a job.