COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The winner of the presidential race won't be decided by the number of votes cast, but by a group of 538 that make up the Electoral College. Under the Electoral College, all 50 states and the District of Columbia are allocated a certain number of electoral votes equal to their number of representatives. Since representatives are based on the population of a state, the means larger states, like California and Texas, have the highest number of electoral votes at 54 and 40. With an estimated population of 11,785,935, Ohio is home to 17 electoral votes. So, if a candidate wins the popular vote in Ohio, they typically receive all of Ohio's electoral college votes, even if the race is close. To win the presidential election, a candidate must receive a majority of the possible 538 votes, or at least 270 votes. After voters cast their ballots on Election Day, states have until Dec. 10 to complete any disputes or finish recounts over the results. On Dec. 17, electors meet to cast their ballots for president, based on their state's popular vote. The copies of the ballots are then sent to the president of the U.S. Senate, the sitting vice president, to officially be counted. On Jan. 6, Congress meets to count the electoral votes and certify victory for the candidate who has received at least 270. If no presidential candidate gets 270 votes, then Congress will elect the president and vice president. Each state's House representatives would come together to cast one vote in favor of a candidate. In this scenario, a candidate must earn at least 26 votes to win the presidency. The Senate elects the vice president in that scenario. Each senator casts one vote for a vice presidential candidate, and whoever received 51 votes will be elected. The rules for the Electoral College are outlined in the 12th Amendment of the Constitution, designed to be part of the checks and balances system through the American political system. However, a recent Pew Research Center report found 63% of American say that they would prefer it if the winner of the presidential election were decided by the popular vote. Electors are selected by each political part, but the guidelines vary by state. Rules that apply to all state is that no senator, representative or person who holds an "office of trust or profit in the U.S." can be an elector.