Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning. The Electoral College is how the president (and vice president) of the United States is elected. In the U.S., there are 538 electors who each get an electoral vote between all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

It's not the popular vote that decides who wins the presidency — it's the outcome of the Electoral College​. This map shows how many votes each state gets in 2024.

Michigan polls open for in person voting on Election Day at 7 a.m. local time. Due to Michigan covering two time zones, some voters in the Upper Peninsula will have to wait an extra hour to vote. Polls will remain open until 8 p.m. local time. But again, due to the second time zone, that will be 9 p.m. ET before all polls are closed.