The much-anticipated first presidential debate will take place tonight in Philadelphia, featuring Vice President Kamala Harris against former President Donald Trump at the National Constitutional Center.

In the last presidential debate, President Joe Biden represented the Democratic party. During that debate, Trump made several misleading statements, but Biden’s lackluster performance ultimately resulted in his withdrawal from the race.

With just eight weeks until Election Day, this debate is vital for those still undecided about their voting choices in November.

Let’s revisit the 2020 presidential election and its Electoral College results:

Electoral College votes by state

The presidency is determined by the Electoral College, a group of 538 electors selected by state political parties. Each elector casts one vote, and a candidate must secure 270 votes to win the election.

In the 2020 presidential election, Trump secured 232 electoral votes, while his opponent, Joe Biden, received 306 electoral votes.

Here’s the breakdown of the Electoral College votes by state:

Electoral College Overview

The Electoral College constitutes the framework for presidential elections as outlined in the Constitution. Typically, the candidate with the majority of votes in a state earns that state’s electoral votes, with Maine and Nebraska being exceptions as they allocate votes differently.

For instance, in Nebraska, Trump was awarded four out of five electoral votes, while Biden received the remaining one. The allocation of electoral votes to each state is determined by its number of Congressional representatives, which correlates to the state’s population size.

When will the 2024 presidential election take place?

The next U.S. presidential election is set for Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

States with the earliest early voting dates

This process allows citizens with valid ID to vote in person at designated polling locations before the presidential election.

Below is a list of some states that allow early in-person voting, based on data gathered by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). States may refer to this process in various terms, such as “early voting” or “in-person absentee,” but NCSL considers it as long as it is accessible to all voters.

• California – Starting October 7
• Illinois – Starts September 26
• Minnesota – Begins September 20
• Nebraska – Opens October 7
• Pennsylvania – Available from September 16
• Vermont – Ballots can be obtained at least 45 days before the election
• Virginia – Starts September 20
• Wyoming – Begins October 8

Contributors: Fernando Cervantes Jr., Kinsey Crowley, and Natalie Neysa Alund, YSL News.