What is the Electoral College?

• A. A direct popular vote by all citizens.
• B. A panel within the Supreme Court.
• C. A body that elects the President indirectly, with each state having a number of electors equal to its total senators and representatives.
• D. A federal agency that certifies elections.

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that the President is chosen indirectly through a group of electors, not by a direct tally of every citizen’s vote. In this system, each state is allotted a number of electors equal to its total number of Senators and Representatives in Congress. Those electors then cast the votes for President. Across all states there are 538 electors, so a candidate needs a majority (270) to win. Most states allocate all their electors to the winner of the statewide popular vote, though Maine and Nebraska use a district-based approach.

That’s why the correct description matches: an indirect election by a body of electors whose size is based on each state’s congressional representation. The other options describe different, unrelated ideas: a direct popular vote, a panel within the Supreme Court, or a federal certification agency.