What is the electoral college? What purpose does it serve?
The electoral college is a process by which the President of the United States is elected. In this system, each state is assigned a certain number of electors based on the state's representation in Congress, with a total of 538 electors overall.
During a presidential election, voters in each state cast their ballots for a slate of electors pledged to a particular candidate. The candidate who wins the popular vote in a state generally receives all of that state's electoral votes (except for Nebraska and Maine, which allocate their electoral votes based on the winner of each congressional district and two at-large votes based on the statewide vote). The candidate who receives at least 270 electoral votes out of the total 538 available becomes the President.
The electoral college serves to balance the interests of smaller and larger states in the presidential election process, ensuring that candidates must have broad national support in order to win. Additionally, it preserves the role of the states in choosing the President, as the electors are selected by state legislatures and represent their state's preference rather than a direct popular vote.