To win the presidency you get the most votes from the people but not enough of what to win the election
To win the presidency, a candidate needs to secure the majority of electoral votes. In the United States, the Electoral College system is used to elect the president. Each state is given a certain number of electoral votes based on its representation in Congress. There are a total of 538 electoral votes, and a candidate must secure at least 270 electoral votes to win the election.
It is possible for a candidate to win the popular vote, meaning they receive the most votes from the people nationwide, but still not win the election if they do not secure enough electoral votes. This situation has occurred in the past, most notably in the 2000 and 2016 presidential elections.
In the 2000 election, Vice President Al Gore won the popular vote, receiving over 500,000 more votes than his opponent, George W. Bush. However, due to the Electoral College system, Bush won the election by securing 271 electoral votes compared to Gore's 266.
Similarly, in the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes, but Donald Trump secured the necessary 270 electoral votes to win the presidency.
These instances have sparked debates and discussions about the effectiveness and legitimacy of the Electoral College system and whether it should be changed or abolished.