exposing the truth in the Electoral College it's more than just a popular vote folks so how does the Electoral College work when Americans vote for president they're actually voting for a group of electors each state has a certain number of electors based on its representation in Congress that's the number of Senators plus the number of representatives for example California has 55 electors while tiny Wyoming has just three the magic number to win 270 out of 538 electoral votes Most states follow a winner takes all system meaning the candidate with the most votes in a St claims all its electoral votes but wait there's more sometimes a candidate can win the popular vote but lose in the Electoral College sounds crazy right but it's happened five times in US history so next time you hear about the Electoral College remember it's not just about who gets the most votes but who gets the right votes now you're in the no