General politics
Demystifying the Electoral College: How Electoral Votes are Calculated in U.S. Presidential Elections - listicle
In the 2020 election, a candidate needed 270 of the 538 electoral votes to win, and 306 votes clinched the presidency while more than 81 million people cast ballots. The Electoral College translates state victories into a national tally, allowing a popular-vote winner to fall short of the White House.