Electoral votes are based on the number of represenitives and senators a state has at the federal level. These numbers are based on the population of the stat. The more populated a state, the more electoral votes that stat has. (12th Amendment?) Short answer: Because it has a larger population than any other state.
Long answer: Each state has a number of electoral votes equal to the number of members of Congress from that state -- two Senators for each state, plus however many Representatives the state has. Since the number of Representatives is based on the population of the state, the state with the largest population has the most Representatives and therefore has the most electoral votes.
They have two US Senators and because of their population they have 53 Members of the House of Representatives and since 2 plus 53 equals 55 that is the number of votes they are entitled to in the Electoral College.
Electoral votes are calculated per state based on the number of senators (2) plus the number of representatives. As the number of representatives varies by population, the number of electoral votes varies by population. California has a large number because it is a very populous state.
California has 55 electoral votes, about 10% of the available electoral votes. As the most populous state, California has voted consistently Democratic since 1992. Additionally, California has split its electoral votes 4 times, before changing to a winner take all system.
Electoral votes for each candidate in past elections.
Year - Votes - Candidate:
2016 - 55 - Hillary Clinton (D)
2012 - 55 - Barack Obama (D)
2008 - 55 - Barack Obama (D)
2004 - 55 - John Kerry (D)
2000 - 54 - Al Gore (D)
1996 - 54 - Bill Clinton (D)
1992 - 54 - Bill Clinton (D)
1988 - 47 - George HW Bush (R)
1984 - 47 - Ronald Reagan (R)
1980 - 45 - Ronald Reagan (R)
1976 - 45 - Gerald Ford (R)
1972 - 45 - Richard Nixon (R)
1968 - 40 - Richard Nixon (R)
1964 - 40 - Lyndon B Johnson (D)
1960 - 32 - Richard Nixon (R)
1956 - 32 - Dwight D. Eisenhower (R)
1952 - 32 - Dwight D. Eisenhower (R)
1948 - 25 - Harry S. Truman (D)
1944 - 25 - Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)
1940 - 22 - Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)
1936 - 22 - Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)
1932 - 22 - Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)
1928 - 13 - Herbert Hoover (R)
1924 - 13 - Calvin Coolidge (R)
1920 - 13 - Warren G. Harding (R)
1916 - 13 - Woodrow Wilson (D)
1912 - 13 - 11 for Theodore Roosevelt (Progressive) and 2 for Woodrow Wilson (D)
1908 - 10 - William Howard Taft (R)
1904 - 10 - Theodore Roosevelt (R)
1900 - 9 - William McKinley (R)
1896 - 9 - 8 for William McKinley (R) and 1 for William Jennings Bryan (D)
1892 - 9 - 8 for Grover Cleveland (D) and 1 for Benjamin Harrison (R)
1888 - 8 - Benjamin Harrison (R)
1884 - 8 - James G. Blaine (R)
1880 - 6 - 5 for Winfield Hancock (D) and 1 for James Garfield (R)
1876 - 6 - Rutherford B. Hayes (R)
1872 - 6 - Ulysses S. Grant (R)
1868 - 5 - Ulysses S. Grant (R)
1864 - 5 - Abraham Lincoln (NU)
1860 - 4 - Abraham Lincoln (R)
1856 - 4 - James Buchanan (D)
1852 - 4 - Franklin Pierce (D)
The number of electoral votes is based on the population of the state. California has a high population, hence the 54 electoral votes.
California, New York, and Texas have the most electors because they have the largest populations. The more populous a state the more electors awarded to that state.
it has the biggest population
We have 55 electoral votes.
FL has 27 electoral votes FL has 27 electoral votes
When referring to the Electoral College and Presidential elections, a candidate can win by taking: California (55 electoral votes) Texas (28 electoral votes) Florida (29 electoral votes) New York (29 electoral votes) Illinois (20 electoral votes) Pennsylvania (20 electoral votes) Ohio (18 electoral votes) Georgia (16 electoral votes) Michigan (16 electoral votes) New Jersey (15 electoral votes) Virginia (14 electoral votes) - a total of 11 states for 270 electoral votes which means a candidate can lose the other 39 states and District of Columbia and still win the election.
Pennsylvania currently has more electoral votes with 20 electoral votes to Kansas' 6 electoral votes.
Alabama has 9 electoral votes.
270 electoral votes
Electoral votes are the type of votes that actual elect the president.
Barack Obama received more electoral votes, receiving 365 electoral votes to John McCain's 173 electoral votes (out of a total of 538), a difference of 192 electoral votes
Louisiana had 10 electoral votes 1912-1988, 9 electoral votes 1992-2008, and 8 electoral votes 2012-2020. The 2024 electoral votes will be based on the results of the 2020 U.S. Census.
you have to get 270 electoral votes to win
Delaware has 3 electoral votes.
California has 55 electoral votes.
Virginia has 13 electoral college votes.