What body elects the President of the United States?

The body that elects the President of the United States is the Electoral College. This mechanism was established by the U.S. Constitution and plays a crucial role in the presidential election process. Each state is allocated a number of electoral votes based on its representation in Congress, which includes both Senators and Representatives. When citizens cast their votes in a presidential election, they are actually voting for a slate of electors pledged to support their preferred candidate.

Once the votes are counted, the electors from each state meet to cast their votes for President and Vice President. The candidate who receives a majority of the electoral votes (at least 270 out of 538) is declared the President. This process ensures that the electors, rather than a direct popular vote, ultimately determine the outcome of the election, reflecting a compromise between electing the President by a direct popular vote and electing the President through Congress.