The Electoral College influences presidential elections in the U.S. by serving as the mechanism through which electoral votes are allocated to candidates based on state-by-state voting outcomes. Each state has a set number of electoral votes, determined by its population, which can skew the election process towards certain states due to their winner-takes-all approach. This can lead to scenarios where a candidate wins the presidency without securing a majority of the popular vote, emphasizing the complexities of the U.S. electoral system and raising debates about its fairness and effectiveness.