Introduction

In five presidential elections in US history, the winning candidate did not have the popular vote. 

For example, in the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote with 65.8 million votes over Donald Trump who received 62.9 million votes. However, Trump won the presidency securing 270 electoral votes, and surpassing the 270 needed to win. 

History has made the voting system a lot more complex than people may realize. Factors such as third-party votes affecting the performance of the two main parties, young voters being largely unpredictable and the inner-workings of the Electoral College, all affect election results and voters should keep this in mind when voting. 

With 13 votes, Virginia makes up 2.4% of the electoral college. The urban areas in the north lean blue while more rural areas in the south lean red, making Virgnia a purple state. Therefore, in Virginia, the state electors hold the power in the presidential race.