During elections, the Electors’ names may or not appear on the ballot for party candidates. Nonetheless, voters are actually casting votes for Electors rather than for the candidates themselves.

No law requires Electors to vote for candidates who have won the popular vote. They must, however, choose a candidate that adheres to the following two requirements:

• That the elected President possess a sufficient popular vote to allow him to govern. “Sufficient” is not interpreted as an absolute majority.
  
  

• That this sufficient popular vote be adequately distributed throughout the country to allow him to govern.

See also

• Electoral College
• A Fledgling Nation
• Emulating Rome
• How It Works