In the United States, a candidate becomes president not by winning a majority of the national popular vote but through a system called the Electoral College, which allots electoral votes to the 50 states and the District of Columbia largely based on their population.

Every four years, U.S. citizens cast their votes in favor of the next commander in chief; however, while every vote counts, it is ultimately the Electoral College that determines who will be the next U.

Whether Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris or her Republican challenger former President Donald Trump is elected the 47th President of the United States is widely expected to come down to seven key swing states—Pennsylvania,