To win the election, a candidate must secure 270 electoral votes.

kindly note the US election also includes popular votes, though it does not determine the winner.

These are the people Americans, technically, cast their votes for, not the presidential candidates themselves.

Explainer: How the winner of the US presidential election will emerge

Explainer: How the winner of US presidential election will emerge. Photo credit: businessinsider.comSource: UGC

Each elector represents one vote in the Electoral College.

Individual states have the freedom to change how their electors are chosen.

Congress will consider a states result to be conclusive if it is finalized six days before the electors meet.

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Those votes are officially tallied by Congress three weeks later and the president is sworn in on January 20.

What happens if there is a tie?

Is this system widely accepted by all Americans?

The Republican Party has benefited at least twice from this system.

One is the 2000 presidential election where George W. Bush won despite losing the popular vote.

Another instance which is more popular is that of President Trump in 2016.

Sadly, the process of abolishing the system is complex.

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