BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Every vote counts on Election Day, but it is the results of the Electoral College, not the popular vote, that determine the next president.

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE CARD IS THE NAME OF THE GAME

There are a total of 538 electoral votes in all states. A candidate needs 270 – one more than half – to win. The number of votes varies by state, with California receiving up to 54 votes and smaller states like Vermont and the Dakotas receiving just three.

Vermont, New Hampshire and New York all went Democratic in 2020 and are expected to do so again, giving Vice President Harris 35 electoral votes.

The balance of power in the Vermont Statehouse

On Tuesday, control of the legislature will be at stake as all 150 seats in the House of Representatives and all 30 seats in the Senate are up for grabs.

The balance of power in Montpelier has shifted sharply in favor of the Democrats in recent years. In the last biennium, Democrats held 107 House seats and GOP members held just 37, along with a handful of progressives, independents and libertarians.

The Senate had a similar blue bias, with 22 Democrats and just seven Republicans.

Democrats had a supermajority and were able to pass bills without much opposition. That led to a record number of vetoes from Gov. Phil Scott — 17 in the last two sessions. Democrats were able to override 12 of these vetoes. Compare that to the eight previous veto overrides in state history.

VERMONT TICKET SPLITTER

At election time, we hear a lot about blue states and red states, places where the electorate leans heavily toward one party. Vermont is one of those states that is both blue and red depending on which office voters are considering.

Past results can often predict future results, and when we look at the voting results for Vermont by city in the 2020 presidential race, we see a very blue state. Only in a handful of communities did a majority of voters choose Donald Trump.

But in the 2022 governor's race, as in previous elections, many Democrats split their votes, giving the Republican governor 71 percent of the vote.

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