The Electoral College is a group of representatives from each state that casts the official ballots that formally elect the President of the United States. Each state casts as many electoral votes as they have congressmen, meaning each state has at least three electors (one for the House of Representatives, two for Senators). These electors, however, are not the state’s actual Congressmen, for the constitution mandates that electors can not be active U.S. Congressmen. The members of the Electoral College are chosen by the state’s Democratic and Republican Party leaders; each party chooses its own electors. When the popular vote for said state is determined, the party of the winning presidential candidate casts their votes to Congress. Since the passing of the 23rd amendment in 1960, which granted the District of Columbia three electoral votes, there have been a total of 538 electoral votes. To win an election, the president must win 270 electoral votes. If no candidate receives this many votes from the Electoral College, the election is decided by the House of Representatives.