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Test Your Knowledge of the Electoral College

Are you a master of how a president is chosen?

Bill Gibson

En español

Published August 24, 2020

8 Questions

Test Your Knowledge of the Electoral College

[ {
  "question" : "How many electoral votes does a candidate need to win the presidential election?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "250",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "320",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "270",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "In all but two states the winner of the popular vote statewide gets all the electoral college votes. Which two states do not have that winner-takes-all system?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Delaware and Wyoming",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Maine and Nebraska",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Pennsylvania and Maine",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "If no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes, how is the president elected?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "By a vote of state delegations in the House of Representatives",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "By another election",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "By a recount",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "House members would vote by state, and a candidate would have to win a majority of the representatives’ votes in a majority of the states to become president.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "What is the fewest number of states that could elect a president?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "12",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "18",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "23",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "The fewest number of states whose electoral college votes would equal the 270 needed to win the presidency is 12.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "True or false: A state’s electoral votes are determined by the number of representatives and senators it has in Congress.",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "True",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "False",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "The size of a state’s congressional delegation is determined by its …",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Geographic area",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Number of registered voters",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Population",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Which state has the most electoral votes?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "California",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Florida",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Texas",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "California has 55 electoral votes, one for each of its 53 congressional districts and one for each U.S. senator. California is the country’s most populous state.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Since 1900, which presidential victor won the fewest states?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "George W. Bush",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "John F. Kennedy",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "William Howard Taft",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Woodrow Wilson",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "John F. Kennedy, who won only 23 states. Kennedy won several of the country’s most populous states, including New York, Pennsylvania and Texas. He received 303 electoral college votes (270 are required to be elected)",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
} ]

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Test Your Knowledge of the Electoral College

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For more information on the election, visit aarp.org/election2020.

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Test Your Knowledge of the Electoral College

Test Your Knowledge of the Electoral College

Test Your Knowledge of the Electoral College

Government and Election News for Older Americans