How does the Electoral College work? A simple explanation for the 2024 presidential election

Five presidents in U.S. history have won the presidency without winning the popular vote, and the most recent to do so was Donald Trump in 2016. His opponent that year, Hillary Clinton, won over 2.8 million more votes than Trump nationwide, but she lost enough key states to be defeated in the Electoral College, 306 to 232. 

Trump lost both the popular vote and the Electoral College to Joe Biden in 2020. (Once again the electoral vote was 306 to 232, but this time in the Democrat's favor.) Trump is the GOP nominee again in the 2024 presidential election, in what's shaped up to be a tight race against Vice President Kamala Harris. 

Since its founding, the nation has used the Electoral College to elect the president. Read on to learn more about how it works, its history and what role individual voters play in the outcome of the presidential election.