A candidate must receive an absolute majority of electoral votes (currently 270) to win the presidency or the vice presidency. If no candidate receives a majority in the election for president or vice president, that election is determined via a contingency procedure established by the 12th Amendment.
Similarly, what happens if nobody votes in an election? If NOTA gets the highest number of votes in the re-election as well, the candidate with the most votes, excluding NOTA, will be declared the winner. However, the rejected candidates are not barred from re-elections.
Also to know, has there ever been a president elected who did not receive the greatest amount of electoral votes?
Tilden was, and remains, the only candidate in American history who lost a presidential election despite receiving a majority (not just a plurality) of the popular vote. After a first count of votes, Tilden won 184 electoral votes to Hayes 165, with 20 votes unresolved.
Do we still need the Electoral College?
U.S. territories are not entitled to any electors as they are not states. While the electoral vote has generally given the same result as the popular vote, this has not been the case in several elections, most recently in the 2016 election. The Electoral College system is a matter of ongoing debate.
