Briefly explain how the electoral college works

A number of electors are given to each state. When you vote for your party, either republican or democrat, you're voting for those electors. In a presidential election, the candidate who reaches 270 first wins the presidency.

The electoral college votes for the president in the United States. The people vote for the candidate they prefer, and the electoral college usually votes based on the popular preference. Each state has more or less electors depending on its population--a higher population has more electors, whereas a lower population has fewer electors. The electoral college was originally established because many citizens were politically uninformed, and the electoral college can be trusted to make an educated presidential decision.