How does the electoral college work?

All 50 US states and Washington DC have a set number of "electors" in the electoral college – roughly proportionate to the size of each state.

California, the largest state, has 55 electoral votes, while sparsely-populated Wyoming and tiny Washington DC only get only three each.

There are 538 electors and to win a majority and become president either candidate needs to accumulate 270 electors – half the total plus one.

Americans technically vote for electors, not the candidates themselves. The electors are state officials or senior party figures, but they are not usually named on the ballot.

The number of electors each state gets is also equal to the number of seats it has in the House of Representatives and the Senate.