Popular vote refers to the total number of votes cast by individual citizens in an election. The candidate who receives the most popular votes in a particular state wins all of that state's electoral votes. Electoral votes, on the other hand, are votes cast by electors who are chosen by their respective states to represent them in the Electoral College. The number of electoral votes each state has is determined by the size of its population, with a total of 538 electoral votes up for grabs in a presidential election. Ultimately, a candidate must win a majority of electoral votes (270) to become the president, regardless of the popular vote. In some instances, a candidate may win the popular vote but still lose the election if they do not secure enough electoral votes. This was seen in the 2016 presidential election, where Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but Donald Trump won the electoral college and thus the presidency.
