Pics: How America elects its president ?

But for two states (Maine and Nebraska) the issue is a bit more complicated. The two states select one elector within each congressional district by popular vote and the remaining two by a statewide popular vote. A candidate needs the vote of at least 270 electors -- 50 per cent plus one -- to win the presidential election.Although the actual vote of the Electoral College takes place in each state between mid-November and mid-December, in most cases, a projected winner is announced on election night.