Final answer:
In most states, Electoral College votes are awarded on a winner-take-all system, with the state's entire electoral votes going to the candidate with the most votes, except for Maine and Nebraska which use a proportional method.
Step-by-step explanation:
Electoral College votes (ECVs) are distributed among states as follows: each state receives a number of electors equal to the total of its Senators and Representatives in Congress. In forty-eight states and the District of Columbia, the distribution of ECVs is based on a winner-takes-all system, where the candidate who wins the most votes in the state receives all of the state's electoral votes. However, in Maine and Nebraska, the electoral votes are allocated proportionally, using the congressional district method, where a candidate receives one electoral vote for each congressional district they win, in addition to the state-wide winner receiving two electoral votes.
The number of representatives for each state may change every ten years based on state population as determined by the U.S. Census. This ensures that the allocation of ECVs is somewhat proportional to the state's population, with a base minimum of three electors for the least populated states, and more electors for states with greater populations, like California with 55 electoral votes.