US Election: What Happens If Candidates Tie In Electoral College

By: EjazUlHaqBhat

Image: AFP

With an even number of electoral college votes in the US election, there is always a chance it could end in a draw

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Presidential elections are not decided by the total number of votes each candidate receives, but rather by the Electoral College system

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The total number of electors in the Electoral College is 538, so the winner has to get more than half that number - 270

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But if two candidates in the race get 269 votes each, it will result in a tie

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If no one gets the 270 votes needed, the president will be chosen by the House of Representatives in what is known as a contingent election

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The House of Representatives, which is the lower chamber of the US Congress, consists of 435 representatives

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But in a contingent election, each state's group of representatives get one collective vote, meaning the total vote is out of 50

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The candidate that gets 26 votes or more becomes president

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