Yes. You cannot win all electoral votes without having the popular vote.
No, Oklahoma does not allocate its electoral votes as a block. Oklahoma uses a winner-takes-all system, meaning that the candidate who receives the majority of the popular vote in the state wins all of Oklahoma's electoral votes.
Illinois' 20 electoral votes are cast based on the popular vote in the whole state.
In all states but Nebraska and Maine, the winner of the popular vote gets all of that state's electoral votes. (Technically, the slate of electors pledged to the winning candidate is elected by the popular vote and these people go on to cast the state's electoral vote. )
The total of 538 Electoral College votes is determined by allocating 435 votes to the House of Representatives (each state receives a minimum of one), 100 votes to the Senate (two per state), and three votes to the District of Columbia. The purpose of the popular vote in the Electoral College system is to determine the outcome of the presidential election in each state. The candidate who wins the popular vote in a state typically receives all of that state's electoral votes.
winner-take-all basis
In most states, the winner of the popular vote receives all of the electoral votes. However, two states, Nebraska and Maine, allocate their electoral votes proportionally based on the winner of each congressional district and the state's overall popular vote.
That happens because the electoral votes are not given in the same proportions as the popular votes received. Virtually every state uses the "winner-takes-all" method of appointing electors. If, for example, 48% of a state's popular votes are cast in favor of Candidate A, 47% support Candidate B, and 5% support Candidate C, Candidate A gets 100% of that state's electoral votes and Candidates B & C don't get any.The Electoral College casts the electoral votes. It is comprised of representatives of each state. While the popular vote is held to have an impact on the Electoral College's decisions on who to vote for, it is not illegal for the Electoral College to vote another way. In addition, not every state has the same amount of electoral votes. It is possible for more people total to vote for a president, but since they are so spread throughout the states, the Electoral Votes may end in another way.
all of the state's electoral votes
In all states but Nebraska and Maine, the winner of the popular vote gets all of that state's electoral votes. (Technically, the slate of electors pledged to the winning candidate is elected by the popular vote and these people go on to cast the state's electoral vote. )
All ten of Minnesota's electoral votes go to the Presidential candidate with the most popular votes in the state and his running mate.
The popular vote and the electoral vote are two completely different things. The presidency is decided solely on who wins the electoral vote, and the popular vote is only good for giving us an idea of who is going to win the presidency. The larger the state the more votes they have in the electoral college, so if a president can win the majority of the large states electoral votes and a few smaller states they can gain the majority they need to win the presidency. In fact, if a president only needs to win the votes for the 11 largest states and they can win the presidency without a vote from the other 39 states.
It ensures that small staes have a voice in choosing the president. I know this because I just did it, in Apex.