Which term refers to the body that formally casts votes for the president and vice president?

• A. Clause
• B. Federal
• C. Electoral College
• D. Credit

Answer: (C)

The formal votes in a presidential election come from the Electoral College. In this system, voters choose electors in their state who are pledged to a candidate, and those electors then cast the official votes for president and vice president. Each state has a number of electors equal to its total representation in Congress (its senators plus representatives), and there are 538 electors in total. A candidate must win a majority—270 electoral votes—to become president. If no one reaches a majority, the House selects the president from the top three candidates, while the Senate selects the vice president from the top two. The term for this body is the Electoral College; the other options don’t refer to this voting body.