The electoral college consists of 538 members, called electors. Each state has a number of electors equal to the number of its congressional representatives plus two for its senators. (D.C. is given a number equal to the least populous state -- currently three.) Seven states, along with D.C., have three electors; California is the largest, with 55. Texas has 38; Florida and New York have 29 each; Illinois and Pennsylvania have 20 each. 270 votes are required to win the presidency.
Respected nonpartisan political handicapper Nathan Gonzales has recently rated the states as solidly Republican or Democrat, leaning R or D, and tossups. He believes there are 217 safe votes for Democrats, with 32 leaning D, for a total of 249, only 21 short of the magic number of 270. Republicans, though, have only 191 safe votes, and according to Gonzales, none of the states lean R; they are 79 votes short. 88 votes are rated as a tossup.
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