On this day in 1789, George Washington becomes the first and only president to be unanimously elected by the Electoral College.
During the first three presidential elections the Electoral College chose the president and Vice President.
Nowadays, when Americans vote for a President and Vice President, they are voting for presidential electors, called collectively as the electoral college. These electors are chosen by the people, who elect the chief executive.
The Electoral College consists of 538 electors, and an absolute majority of 270 electoral votes is required to win an election.
