California Electoral College Guide
California casts 54 electoral votes in presidential elections. California's 54 electoral votes — the most of any state — are safely Democratic. They provide the foundation of any Democratic Electoral College strategy and are considered non-competitive.
Role in the Electoral College
California's 54 electoral votes — the most of any state — are safely Democratic. They provide the foundation of any Democratic Electoral College strategy and are considered non-competitive.
Electoral Vote History
Republicans last won California in 1988. Since 1992, California has been the cornerstone of the Democratic Electoral College base.
Electoral College Basics
The United States uses an Electoral College system to elect the president. Each state receives electoral votes equal to its total congressional representation: number of House seats + 2 (senators). California has 52 House seats + 2 senators = 54 electoral votes.
A candidate needs 270 out of 538 electoral votes to win the presidency. California’s 54 electoral votes represent 10.0% of the total needed.
Most states use a winner-take-all system — the popular vote winner receives all electoral votes. The exception is Maine and Nebraska, which allocate electoral votes by congressional district. California uses the winner-take-all system.