KENTUCKY, USA — Election Day is two weeks away on Nov. 5 and every vote counts.
Early voting is already underway in Kentucky and thousands have requested absentee ballots before the deadline.
When it's all said and done, our next U.S. President will be up to the Electoral College and every electoral vote counts.
But how many electoral votes does Kentucky have?
The Electoral College is different from the popular vote. It's is a 538-member body who elect a president. The framers of the Constitution set it up to give more power to the states and as a compromise to avoid having Congress decide the winner.
Each state’s electors vote for the candidate who won the popular vote in that state. The runner-up gets nothing.
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To win the presidency, a candidate must secure 270 electoral votes — a majority of the 538 possible votes.
Electoral votes are determined based on the U.S. Census. Each state receives a number of electoral votes equal to the number of senators and representatives in its U.S. Congressional delegation; two votes for state's senators, plus one vote for each Congressional district.
Kentucky has eight electoral votes.
Nationally, the Bluegrass State is in the middle of the pack. 24 states have more electoral votes than Kentucky.
California has the most with 54, while Alaska, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming and the District of Columbia have the least with three each.
In 2020, Joe Biden earned 306 electoral votes. He defeated incumbent Donald Trump, who ended up with 232.
To make sure your vote and voice is counted this election season, check out WHAS11's voter guide for all you need to know.
