List of United States presidential elections by Electoral College margin

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

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Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/list-of-united-states-presidential-elections-by-electoral-college-margin

1. What is the total electoral votes?
2. What is the minimum electoral votes for presidency?
3. What is the Electoral College and how does it decide who becomes president?
4. Why do some presidential elections have huge margins while others are very close?

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the total electoral votes?538
2. What is the minimum electoral votes for presidency?270
3. What is the Electoral College and how does it decide who becomes president?The Electoral College is a group of electors that people vote for. Each elector casts a vote for a president, and the candidate who gets at least 270 of the 538 total votes wins the presidency.
4. Why do some presidential elections have huge margins while others are very close?A huge margin means one candidate got many more electoral votes than the other, showing strong support. A close margin means the votes were almost even, which can lead to recounts and legal challenges.

Electoral College: A constitutionally established body of electors that elects the U.S. President and Vice President.
Electoral Vote: A vote cast by a member of the Electoral College for a presidential or vice-presidential candidate.
Absolute Majority: More than half of the total number of electoral votes available (currently 270 out of 538).
Popular Vote: The total number of individual votes cast by citizens for a candidate.