Try telling a classroom of students that it’s possible for a presidential candidate to win the majority of votes in the U.S., but still lose the election—and that it has happened four times. Bush v. Gore wasn’t the first time!  

According to Allan DeCarlo, an AP American History teacher at Pittsford Mendon High School and Voters Ed user, the Electoral College is one of the most difficult concepts for students to understand. 

To help simplify election teaching, we’ve put together an infographic to outline the basics of the Electoral College. Explore the concepts of electoral vote, popular vote and swing states with this resource below.