How many electoral votes are needed to become president?
To become president of the United States, a candidate needs to secure at least 270 electoral votes.
To determine how many electoral votes are needed to become president, we need to refer to the United States Constitution. Article II, Section 1, Clause 2 of the Constitution, as amended by the Twelfth Amendment, provides the guidelines for electing the President of the United States.
According to these guidelines, a candidate needs an absolute majority of electoral votes to become the President. The total number of electoral votes is equal to the sum of the House of Representatives (435) and the Senate (100), plus an additional three electoral votes for Washington, D.C. This brings the total number of electoral votes to 538.
Therefore, to be elected President, a candidate must secure at least 270 electoral votes, which is more than half of the total number of electoral votes (538/2 = 269). This threshold ensures that the winning candidate has broad support across different states and regions to achieve an absolute majority in the Electoral College.