Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-2012
Department 1
Mathematics
Abstract
With the U.S. presidential election fast approaching we will often be reminded that the candidate who receives the most votes is not necessarily elected president. Instead, the winning candidate must receive a majority of the 538 electoral votes awarded by the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Someone with a curious mathematical mind might then wonder: What is the small fraction of the popular vote a candidate can receive and still be elected president? [excerpt]
Copyright Note
This is the publisher's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
Recommended Citation
Wessell, Charles D. “270: How to Win the Presidency with Just 17.56% of the Popular Vote.” Math Horizons 20.1 (2012): 18-21.
Required Publisher's Statement
Original version available from the publisher at: www.maa.org/mathhorizons
Included in
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