Below is a chart that shows the number of Electoral Votes (EV) that each state gets. The bigger the state’s population, the more votes it gets. Forget the numbers in parentheses. They show how the numbers have changed since the last election. The candidate that gets 270 votes wins the Presidency. What are the fewest number of states necessary to get 270 votes? List those states. (In other words, which states get you to 270 the quickest?)

Alabama

9

Indiana

11

Nebraska

5**

South Carolina

9 (+1)

Alaska

3

Iowa

6 (−1)

Nevada

6 (+1)

South Dakota

3

Arizona

11 (+1)

Kansas

6

New Hampshire

4

Tennessee

11

Arkansas

6

Kentucky

8

New Jersey

14 (−1)

Texas

38 (+4)

California

55

Louisiana

8 (−1)

New Mexico

5

Utah

6 (+1)

Colorado

9

Maine

4**

New York

29 (−2)

Vermont

3

Connecticut

7

Maryland

10

North Carolina

15

Virginia

13

Delaware

3

Massachusetts

11 (−1)

North Dakota

3

Washington

12 (+1)

Florida

29 (+2)

Michigan

16 (−1)

Ohio

18 (−2)

West Virginia

5

Georgia

16 (+1)

Minnesota

10

Oklahoma

7

Wisconsin

10

Hawaii

4

Mississippi

6

Oregon

7

Wyoming

3

Idaho

4

Missouri

10 (−1)

Pennsylvania

20 (−1)

Washington, D.C.*

3

Illinois

20 (−1)

Montana

3

Rhode Island

4

Total electors

538