Why Electoral Votes

• The founding fathers were concerned that states with large populations would dominate national elections. A national government at that time was a novel idea, and many states were suspicious of the idea and fiercely protective of states' rights. The distribution of electoral votes among the states was seen as a way to properly balance the power between the large- and small-population states.
  
  

How it Works

• The number of electoral votes for each state equals the number of its senators and representatives added together. Each state has two senators and a number of congressional representatives based on the state's population. To illustrate, as of 2010, California has 55 electoral votes (two senators + 53 representatives) while low-population states like Alaska, Montana and a few others have only three.
  
  

Effects of the Census

• The United States conducts a census every 10 years. The results of the census are used to adjust the number of representatives each state has in congress. A number of states gain or lose population with each census count, so the number of U.S. Representatives must be changed to reflect the shifts. Consequently, the number of electoral votes a particular state has may change after a census.
  
  

Conclusion

• The issues considered in establishing electoral voting mirror the issues that were faced when establishing the government. This is the reason there are two houses of congress --- one with an equal number of members per state and one where representation is based on population. Striking the proper balance in assuring that the states would be fairly --- if not equally --- represented was of paramount importance to the founding fathers. That is why some states have more electoral votes than others.