What is the popular vote and the electoral vote?

Answer 1

Popular vote is the overall percentage of the population who voted for a presidential candidate.

Electoral vote is how many electors in the electoral college vote for the candidate. Each state is entitled to a number of electors, equal to its number of congressmen (Number of Reps. + 2). The candidate which gains the most votes in the state will gain the votes of the State's electors. The popular vote determines how the electors will vote.

Answer 2

In the U.S., the vote for the executive (President) depends not strictly on a popular (or majority) vote but on the electoral college. This college is composed by the number of senators and members of congress the state has, and each state nominates electors to place their vote in the college. In the past, electors were directly appointed by the assemblies of states and could vote as they wished for the candidate of their choice. In modern times, electors usually vote for the popular will of their constituents. Overall, dividing the country in to electoral districts, instead of having a direct, popular vote, changes the nature of winning in the election. For example, it is possible to have a strict majority of votes in the U.S. for President but not win the electoral college (and this happened in 2000 with Al Gore versus George W. Bush). Some feel that this outcome is less desirable or undemocratic and that it should be changed.