The Electoral College serves as the mechanism for electing the President of the United States. Comprising 538 electors, each state gets a number based on its congressional representation. During the general election, citizens cast votes for their preferred candidates, which typically translates into electors pledging to support that candidate. A majority of 270 electoral votes is needed to win the presidency. This system can lead to situations where a candidate wins the presidency without winning the popular vote, raising concerns over its democratic fairness.