The Electoral College has a significant impact on presidential elections in the United States by determining how electoral votes are allocated. While popular votes influence outcomes at the state level, the winner in each state typically receives all its electoral votes, potentially skewing the overall representation of voter preference. This system can lead to a situation where a candidate wins the presidency without winning the nationwide popular vote, as seen in several historical instances. Consequently, this mechanism creates strategic voting behaviors and can result in unequal weight being granted to votes from different states.