Question

How is the number of Electoral College seats per state determined

Answer 1

The number of Electoral College seats per state is determined by the total number of representatives in Congress that each state has. This is based on the state's population as determined by the national census, which is conducted every 10 years.

The Constitution mandates that every state is guaranteed at least three seats in the Electoral College, regardless of its population size. The remaining seats are allocated based on population. The total number of seats in the Electoral College is 538, with 435 seats allocated for the House of Representatives and 100 seats for the Senate (two seats for each state).

To determine the number of seats allocated to each state, the population of the United States is divided by 435 (the fixed number of House seats) to obtain the "apportionment population." Then, each state's population is divided by the apportionment population to calculate its initial "apportionment quotient." After this initial round of calculations, the remaining seats are allocated using a modified version of the Huntington-Hill method, which takes into account any fractional remainders resulting from the division process.

The process of determining the number of Electoral College seats per state can lead to changes every 10 years, as population shifts and redistribution occur. As a result, some states may gain or lose seats in the Electoral College after each census.