Millions of Americans will soon be casting their votes for their next President on 5th November in the United States, with the vast majority deciding between Democrat Kamala Harris or Republican Donald Trump. This historic election, however, is not determined by a singular national poll, but rather a state-by-state contest.

There are 538 votes in the Electoral College and each state has a certain number of votes based on how many seats they have in the House of Representatives, plus their two senators. Therefore, larger states have more Electoral College votes. And so, whichever candidate wins the popular vote in a state gets all that state’s electoral college votes.

On part one of a special two-part edition of Morning Shot focusing on the US Election, Hans Noel, Associate Professor from the Department of Government at Georgetown University shares his insights on how the Electoral College works and what to watch out for on election night. 

Presented by: Audrey Siek
Produced & Edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)
Photo credits: 270towin.com, pixabay & its talented community of contributors / Designed by Yeo Kai Ting