
Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but lost the election in 2016 because of the way the U.S. electoral system is constructed. Here are three facts to understand...
#Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but lost the election in 2016 because of the way the U.S. electoral system is constructed. Here are three facts to understand it better:
- On election day, Americans vote for electors – not for a candidate. Each state has a given number of electors based on the size of its population. For example, California has 55 e while Wyoming only has 3.
- Electors are elected as a group. For example, if a political party secures a majority of 51% in California, it will still win its 55 electors, and not just half of them. Each State votes for one party or the other.
- This means that, in total, more people can vote for one candidate without him or her being elected, if he or she fails to secure a majority by a small amount in certain states.
Hilary Clinton wasn't the first one to win the popular vote and lose the election: in 2000, Al Gore gained more votes compared to George W. Bush.
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