Which of the following statements is true about the electoral college system?

The statement that the electoral college system may lead to the election of a candidate who did not win the popular vote is accurate. This occurs because the system allocates a certain number of electoral votes to each state, and these votes are generally awarded on a winner-takes-all basis (with a few exceptions). As a result, a candidate can win the presidency by securing a majority of electoral votes while receiving fewer total votes nationwide. Historical examples, such as the elections in 2000 and 2016, illustrate this phenomenon, where the winning candidates did not achieve the majority of the popular vote.

The other statements do not accurately capture the nature of the electoral college. The system does not directly reflect the popular vote due to the aforementioned allocation of electoral votes by state, which can skew the overall representation of voters. Moreover, it does not eliminate the need for state-level campaigning; candidates still focus on individual states during their campaigns to gain the majority of electoral votes. Lastly, the electoral college does not guarantee that each vote holds equal weight nationwide; votes in less populous states can carry more influence in the electoral count compared to those in larger states due to the way electoral votes are distributed. Thus, the correct understanding of the electoral college includes the potential for a