--- title: Electoral College Vote 2016: Everything You Need to Know description: The 538 members of the Electoral College will all but certainly vote for President-elect Donald Trump on Monday. Here's what happens next canonical: https://time.com/4606291/electoral-college-vote-2016/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-12-19T15:53:34.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T14:24:04.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Everything You Need to Know About the Electoral College Vote og:description: The Electoral College votes Monday. Here's what happens next og:url: https://time.com/4606291/electoral-college-vote-2016/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt909db453a6f3178e/6988b366a988ca80656ba7b7/gettyimages-629451574.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Women and Allies, Nationwide Protest in New York City - On og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Everything You Need to Know About the Electoral College Vote twitter:description: The Electoral College votes Monday. Here's what happens next twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt909db453a6f3178e/6988b366a988ca80656ba7b7/gettyimages-629451574.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Everything You Need to Know About the Electoral College Vote > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=d4d08c6f-61fa-49f9-beef-19d834b264a8&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 85,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 37.0% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=d4d08c6f-61fa-49f9-beef-19d834b264a8&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=d4d08c6f-61fa-49f9-beef-19d834b264a8&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: Al Gore Reads Final Electoral College Vote Number in 2001 [Watch (HLS stream): Al Gore Reads Final Electoral College Vote Number in 2001](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fMC6VI3S.m3u8) (2:08)  _Published 2016-12-19. In the wake of the 2016 presidential election, former Vice President Al Gore said he now believes the Electoral College should be eliminated, marking a reversal of opinion for the one-time presidential candidate who famously lost._ by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Updated: Dec 13, 2023 2:24 PM UTCPublished: Dec 19, 2016 3:53 PM UTC by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Updated: Dec 13, 2023 2:24 PM UTCPublished: Dec 19, 2016 3:53 PM UTC The 538 members of the [Electoral College will convene in states across the U.S. on Monday](http://time.com/4597833/electoral-college-donald-trump-challenge/) to cast ballots that will all but certainly put [President-elect Donald Trump](http://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-2016-donald-trump/) in the White House. The process is largely symbolic, seen as a formal end to the election that was decided by voters on Nov. 8\. But given the controversy surrounding the 2016 election, the process is getting new attention. Ahead of the vote on Monday, electors have faced [calls to reconsider casting their votes](http://time.com/4606230/electoral-college-donald-trump-poll/) for Trump even if he was the candidate chosen by their state, in the wake of concerns about Trump’s business conflicts and Russia’s efforts to influence the election’s outcome. Some are hoping enough electors will vote against Trump to keep him from the White House, but the likelihood of that occurring is low. Here’s a rundown of how things work: **What will happen on Monday?** Electors will [convene in each state to cast two ballots](http://time.com/4597833/electoral-college-donald-trump-challenge/)–one for the president and another for vice president—to select the next administration. The 538 members are not necessarily politicians, though most are, but are chosen by state party leaders to cast ballots. Each state has as many electors as it does members of Congress, in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. After the ballots are cast, they’ll be sent to the U.S. Congress, which will convene in early January to accept the votes. **Can electors vote for who they want?** Electors typically vote for the person who voters in their state selected during the general election. They are not required to do so under the Constitution, but there are laws in some states that would levy fines against so-called “faithless” electors who vote against the will of the people of their state. Thirty-seven electors would have to switch their expected picks and vote against Trump in order to sway the outcome, though few have said they intend to do so ahead of the vote. **What happens to the ballots after Monday’s vote?** Once the ballots are sent to Washington, members of the House and Senate will convene on Jan. 6 to count the vote. Vice President Joe Biden is expected to preside over the proceedings and call the presidency for whoever wins at least 270 votes. The fact that the sitting Vice President oversees the count led to an awkward moment in 2001, when Vice President Al Gore had to announce his own loss. There is a process through which a lawmaker can object or challenge the results from a state or the vote of an individual elector. Votes that are cast against the state results can also be objected to or tossed at this point. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4606291/electoral-college-vote-2016/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4606291/electoral-college-vote-2016/"},"headline":"Everything You Need to Know About the Electoral College Vote","datePublished":"2016-12-19T15:53:34.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-13T14:24:04.000Z","description":"The Electoral College votes Monday. Here's what happens next","url":"https://time.com/4606291/electoral-college-vote-2016/","keywords":["2016 Election","2016 Election","Election 2016","Donald Trump","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt909db453a6f3178e/6988b366a988ca80656ba7b7/gettyimages-629451574.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Maya Rhodan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt909db453a6f3178e/6988b366a988ca80656ba7b7/gettyimages-629451574.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Women and Allies, Nationwide Protest in New York City - On","caption":"Women and Allies, Nationwide Protest in New York City - On","creditText":"Pacific Press—LightRocket via Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/2016-election/","name":"2016 Election"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4606291/electoral-college-vote-2016/","name":"Everything You Need to Know About the Electoral College Vote"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"This Video Is No Longer Available","description":"The Electoral College votes Monday. Here's what happens next","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/fKodeUO6/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2026-06-23T15:00:44.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fKodeUO6.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4606291/electoral-college-vote-2016/","duration":"PT10S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4606291/electoral-college-vote-2016/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Al Gore Reads Final Electoral College Vote Number in 2001","description":"In the wake of the 2016 presidential election, former Vice President Al Gore said he now believes the Electoral College should be eliminated, marking a reversal of opinion for the one-time presidential candidate who famously lost.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/fMC6VI3S/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-12-19T16:29:40.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fMC6VI3S.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4606291/electoral-college-vote-2016/","duration":"PT2M8S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4606291/electoral-college-vote-2016/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```