Final answer:
A presidential candidate needs to reach at least 270 electoral votes out of a total of 538 to win the U.S. election. States typically use a winner-take-all system, with Maine and Nebraska as exceptions, which can lead to a candidate winning the popular vote but losing the electoral vote.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding the Electoral College
To win the U.S. presidential election, a candidate must secure a majority of electoral votes, which is currently at least 270 out of 538 total electoral votes. This system involves electors from each state plus Washington, D.C., casting votes. Most states follow a "winner-take-all" approach, except for Maine and Nebraska, which allocate electoral votes using the congressional district method.
Electoral Votes Breakdown
The specific number of 270 is over half the total electoral votes and is the threshold needed to guarantee a win. This is because the total number of electoral votes, 538, is distributed among the states based on their congressional representation (Senators and House members), with each state receiving at least three electoral votes.
While the majority of electoral votes decides the presidency, it is possible for a candidate to win the national popular vote but lose the electoral vote, as seen in elections like those in 2000 and 2016. Hence, presidential campaigns often focus on swing states to accumulate enough electoral votes to reach that 270 majority.