In 48 states, the system works on a direct election with the winner of the election receiving all of the states electoral votes. In Maine and Nebraska, a separate election is held for each district and the winner of each district receives one electoral vote. The candidate that wins the most districts in the state takes the remainder of the electoral votes.

One problem with the Electoral College is that only 24 states require the electors to vote according to the state's election. This gives the elector the option to vote on personal preference rather than the state's votes. An unfaithful elector has never had an outcome on an election, but the possibility exists.