Washington: What's all this hubbub about 270? It's not about the 270 whales stranded this fall on Australia's island state of Tasmania. It's not about congestion on Interstate 270 feeding commuters into Washington, DC It's about who's going to sit in the White House for the next four years. Nearly 2.9 million more people voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, but she still lost.
Donald Trump won the elections in 2016 because he took the Electoral College, under a system set up in the US Constitution and refined through the centuries. This is where the magic number comes into play. To win the White House, a candidate must win at least 270 electoral votes.
That's a majority of the 538 that are up for grabs in the 50 states.
Number game in US Elections
Each state is allotted a different number of electoral votes, based on how many representatives it has in the House, plus its two senators.
For example: California has the most electoral votes with 55. Texas is next with 38 electoral votes. The candidate who wins New York or Florida can pocket 29 electoral votes toward the race to get 270. Illinois and Pennsylvania each have 20. Rounding out the top 10 list of states with the most electoral votes is Ohio with 18; Georgia and Michigan with 16 and North Carolina with 15.
Trump's Best Path
Trump has several paths to 270, but his best route hinges on winning Florida and Pennsylvania. If he wins both states and holds onto North Carolina and Arizona, which he narrowly carried in 2016, and also Georgia and Ohio, which he won in 2016 but is now competitive, he will win.
When will US election results be declared?
Each state counts votes differently. Some wait until polls close, while others begin counting as soon as ballots are submitted. As a result, election returns will come in at varying times across different states. Between 7 pm and 10 pm EST Tuesday night (5.30 am and 8.30 am IST), results are expected to start coming from Georgia and North Carolina. Both of these have 16 electoral college votes. As these races are close, they might not be called by the networks.
(With inputs from agency)
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