Electoral College and Presidential Elections

• In presidential elections, a candidate needs a majority of Electoral College votes to win the presidency. When someone casts a vote for president, he's actually voting for an elector from the Electoral College. Every state and Washington, D.C., has as many elector votes as it has representatives and senators. Except for Maine and Nebraska, the race is winner-take-all. Whoever gets the most votes receives all of the electors. It is then up to the Electoral College to vote for the president. Members of the Electoral College pledge to represent the votes of the people.
  
  

Importance of Toss-Up States

• Some states consistently lean either Democrat or Republican. Toss-up states vary by each election. The states that are generally considered toss-up states have enough Electoral Colleges votes among them to sway the election either way, depending on whom they vote for. These states are considered a "toss up" as to which direction the vote will go ("swing state" refers to swinging the vote in either direction).
  
  

States That Are Considered Toss Up

• The states that are considered to be toss up varies somewhat by election. This is usually determined by polling before a election. Five states are relatively consistent in their toss-up status. These are Colorado, Florida, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. Iowa, Minnesota, Nevada and Pennsylvania will sometimes become battleground states before an election.
  
  

Electoral Math

• The math behind political leaning isn't cut and dried. The key factors behind monitoring which way a state may go politically is done by polling and statistical analysis. Pre-election polling is not 100 percent accurate. The leaning of a toss-up state may shift dramatically throughout the campaigning period of an election. For example, in the 2008 presidential race, Florida and Ohio only shifted to favoring Barack Obama after the stock market crash. Strategists work hard to find ways for a candidate to attain or maintain a swing state.