In the Electoral College, how is the number of electors for a state determined?

• A. It is determined by the state's governor
• B. It equals the number of congressional districts in the state
• C. It equals the total number of its representatives in Congress plus its two senators
• D. It is a fixed number set by the federal government

Answer: (C)

The number of electors a state has comes from its representation in Congress: add the state’s number of representatives in the House to its two Senators. The House seats are determined by population after each census, so a state’s electors can change over time, while the two Senate seats per state are fixed. A governor doesn’t set this, and the count isn’t simply the number of districts or a flat federal number. The total for a state is therefore its House representation plus two. (For context, the overall electoral votes add up to 538, from 435 House members, 100 Senators, and 3 for Washington, D.C.)