The Electoral College, established by the US Constitution in 1787, was designed as a compromise between direct democracy and congressional selection of the president. Each state’s electors are based on its representation in Congress, leading to a focus on swing states that can sway the election outcome, while larger states like California and Texas often get less attention.
Historically, the system has produced outcomes where the popular vote winner did not become president, as seen in the elections of John Quincy Adams in 1824 and George W. Bush in 2000. The Supreme Court has ruled that states can penalize “faithless electors,” though such instances have never changed the outcome of an election.
On December 17, electors will cast their votes, followed by Congress certifying the results on January 6, 2025. This time, Kamala Harris will oversee the certification, a shift from the previous cycle when Mike Pence faced immense pressure to overturn the election results. The dynamics of this election, set against the backdrop of a tumultuous political landscape, will put the Electoral College back into the spotlight.