Final answer:
The Electoral College vote has not matched the popular vote five times in U.S. history: with John Quincy Adams, Rutherford B. Hayes, Benjamin Harrison, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump, all becoming president despite not winning the popular vote.
Step-by-step explanation:
In American history, the winner of the Electoral College vote has not won the popular vote a total of five times. This has occurred in the presidential elections of 1824 (John Quincy Adams), 1876 (Rutherford B. Hayes), 1888 (Benjamin Harrison), 2000 (George W. Bush), and 2016 (Donald Trump). The Electoral College system allows for such outcomes given its structure, where electors are based on each state's congressional representation and most states use a winner-take-all method to allocate these electors. This unique mechanism of the U.S. presidential election process means that a candidate can secure the presidency by winning in the Electoral College, even if they receive fewer votes from the electorate nationwide. The most recent examples, George W. Bush in 2000 and Donald Trump in 2016, have intensified debates around Electoral College reform. However, despite calls for change, the system remains due to its constitutional foundations and the complex process required to amend it.