Final answer:
A candidate must win D. a majority of votes in the Electoral College to become president of the U.S., not just the popular vote. The current Electoral College system, often winner-take-all except in Maine and Nebraska, has led to instances where the popular vote winner did not win the presidency.
Step-by-step explanation:
To become president of the United States, a candidate must win a majority of votes in the Electoral College. The Electoral College is a body of electors, equal to the total number of Senators and House members across the states, plus electors from Washington, D.C. In most states, electors use a winner-take-all approach. The popular vote in individual states determines which party's electors are selected, but it's the majority in the Electoral College that ultimately decides the presidency. States like Maine and Nebraska use a different method, allocating one electoral vote per congressional district plus two for the state winner, also known as the congressional district method.
Recent elections have highlighted the possibility and reality of a candidate winning the national popular vote but losing the Electoral College due to this winner-take-all system. Despite some public dissatisfaction and discussions around reforming the system or replacing it with a direct popular vote, the Electoral College remains the mechanism for electing a president in the U.S.