Changes

First let's consider how many total Electoral College votes there are.  We learned above that each State's number of Electoral College votes is the total of its congressional delegation:  its number of representatives plus its number of senators in Congress.  We know the total number in the House of Representatives (435) and the total number of Senators (100), so total number of Electoral College votes from the States is 435 plus 100, which equals 535.

First let's consider how many total Electoral College votes there are.  We learned above that each State's number of Electoral College votes is the total of its congressional delegation:  its number of representatives plus its number of senators in Congress.  We know the total number in the House of Representatives (435) and the total number of Senators (100), so total number of Electoral College votes from the States is 435 plus 100, which equals 535.

But what about Washington, D.C.?  It is not a State, but nearly a million people live and vote there.  It is part of the United States, though there was no Washington, D.C., when the Constitution and the Bill of Rights were originally ratified.  In fact, as we learned in a prior lecture, Congress met in New York City during its first few years, and its location there has been preserved to this day (it's in Foley Square, in downtown Manhattan).

But what about Washington, D.C.?  It is not a State, but about 600,000 people live and vote there, which is roughly the size of one congressional seat in population.  Washington, D.C., is part of the United States, though it did not exist when the Constitution and the Bill of Rights were originally ratified.  In fact, as we learned in a prior lecture, Congress met in New York City during its first few years, and its location there has been preserved to this day (it's in Foley Square, in downtown Manhattan).

Congress began meeting in Washington, D.C., around 1800, and the population of that area was initially very small.  But as the size of the federal government and the amount of money that it hands out has grown over the years, the size of the population in D.C. has grown too.  Eventually the 23rd Amendment was added to the Constitution to give Washington, D.C. the same number of "Electors" in the Electoral College as the smallest State:  a total of 3.

Congress began meeting in Washington, D.C., around 1800, and the population of that area was initially very small.  But as the size of the federal government and the amount of money that it hands out has grown over the years, the size of the population in D.C. has grown too.  Eventually the 23rd Amendment was added to the Constitution to give Washington, D.C. the same number of "Electors" in the Electoral College as the smallest State:  a total of 3.