Which statement about the Electoral College is true?

• A. It directly elects the President by popular vote.
• B. It assigns electors to the President based on population only.
• C. It is a ceremonial body with no real power.
• D. It elects the President indirectly, with states' electors equal to total senators and representatives.

Answer: (D)

The core idea is that the Electoral College is an indirect way of choosing the President. In the general election, people vote for electors who are pledged to a candidate. Those electors then cast the official votes for President and Vice President. Each state has a number of electors equal to its total number of Senators (two) plus its Representatives, which depends on population, and when you add up all states you get 538 electors. A candidate wins by securing a majority of those electoral votes (270).

So the statement that describes the system as electing the President indirectly, with states’ electors equal to the total of senators and representatives, is accurate. It’s not a direct popular vote, it’s not based on population alone (because every state has two senators regardless of size), and it’s not merely ceremonial since electors perform the formal vote for President.