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Breaking down the electoral vote
Donald Trump has secured more than the 270 Electoral College votes needed to secure the presidency.
Each state's number of electoral votes in U.S. presidential elections is determined by its representation in Congress. Here’s how it works:
Total Electoral Votes: There are 538 electoral votes in total.
Allocation per State: Each state gets electoral votes equal to its number of Senators (always 2) plus the number of its Representatives, which is based on population.
Majority to Win: A candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes to win the presidency.
How many electoral votes in California?
California, the most populous state in the United States, plays a pivotal role in the outcome of presidential elections.
How many electors are in the Electoral College?
The Electoral College is made up of 538 electors. A 270 majority is needed for a candidate to win the presidency.
In 2020, President Joe Biden earned 306 electoral votes, while former president Donald Trump earned 232.
California has a total of 54 electoral votes – one for each senator and one for each of the 52 congressional districts.
In previous presidential elections, California had 55 electoral votes – but in 2021, the state lost a congressional seat due to decreasing population data in the Census.
Texas and Florida have the second and third most electoral votes, respectively, after California.
Texas has 40 votes, while Florida has 30.
The numbers are updated every 10 years with the census, which may lead to shifts in some states' electoral votes. The current electoral vote allocations are based 2020 Census data and will be used for the 2024 and 2028 presidential elections.
How many votes does each state have?
- Alabama - 9
- Alaska - 3
- Arizona - 11
- Arkansas - 6
- California - 54
- Colorado - 10
- Connecticut - 7
- Delaware - 3
- Florida - 30
- Georgia - 16
- Hawaii - 4
- Idaho - 4
- Illinois - 19
- Indiana - 11
- Iowa - 6
- Kansas - 6
- Kentucky - 8
- Louisiana - 8
- Maine - 4
- Maryland - 10
- Massachusetts - 11
- Michigan - 15
- Minnesota - 10
- Mississippi - 6
- Missouri - 10
- Montana - 4
- Nebraska - 5
- Nevada - 6
- New Hampshire - 4
- New Jersey - 14
- New Mexico - 5
- New York - 28
- North Carolina - 16
- North Dakota - 3
- Ohio - 17
- Oklahoma - 7
- Oregon - 8
- Pennsylvania - 19
- Rhode Island - 4
- South Carolina - 9
- South Dakota - 3
- Tennessee - 11
- Texas - 40
- Utah - 6
- Vermont - 3
- Virginia - 13
- Washington - 12
- Washington D.C. - 3
- West Virginia - 4
- Wisconsin - 10
- Wyoming - 3
KTVU and FOX 4 contributed to this report.