Final answer:
In most states, electoral votes are assigned using a winner-take-all system where the presidential candidate who wins the popular vote gets all the state's electoral votes. Nebraska and Maine are exceptions, distributing their votes proportionally. The total number of electors reflects the congressional delegation and changes with the U.S. census, maintaining a cap of 538 electors.
Step-by-step explanation:
The system through which the president of the United States is elected is known as the Electoral College. Each state has a specific number of electoral votes that is equivalent to its congressional delegation, which includes two Senators plus its number of House of Representative members. For 48 states and the District of Columbia, all electoral votes are assigned to the presidential candidate who wins the popular vote in that state, a method known as the winner-take-all system. This is true regardless of the margin of victory. However, there are two exceptions to this rule: Nebraska and Maine, which distribute their electoral votes proportionally. In these states, a candidate earns two electoral votes by winning the state-wide popular vote and one electoral vote for each congressional district they win.
The number of electoral votes for each state may change every ten years based on the results of the U.S. Census as it may affect the number of House representatives. Nevertheless, the total number of representatives has been fixed at 435 since the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929. This keeps the overall number of electors in the Electoral College to 538, and a majority of 270 electoral votes is needed to win the presidency.