What will happen if neither Kamala Harris nor Donald Trump achieves the Electoral College majority needed to win the election? American election? Although unlikely, this scenario remains a possibility, adding to the anxiety of Americans already on edge ahead of the November 5 election.

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In the American system, it is not the national popular vote that determines the president, but the “Electoral College” composed of 538 members, where each state is allocated electors based on its representation in Congress. AFP reported.

All states except Nebraska and Maine award all of their electors to whoever comes first in the statewide popular vote.

If Harris and Trump fail to secure a majority of the 270 electoral votes, the US Constitution states that Congress will intervene to decide the outcome.

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In this case, the newly elected House of Representatives would select the president in January, while the Senate would choose the vice president.

A 269-269 Electoral College split could occur under several scenarios. For example, if Harris wins Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, but Trump wins Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, and a single Democratic-leaning district in Nebraska, the race would end in a deadlock .

-A tie 200 years ago-

A tie would trigger a “conditional election” in Congress – a scenario that has never occurred in modern American history.

The last time Congress had to choose the president due to a tie was in the 1800 election, when Thomas Jefferson faced incumbent President John Adams. Lawmakers in a deeply divided House of Representatives struggled to reach consensus, ultimately choosing Jefferson on the 36th ballot.

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The prolonged impasse led to the adoption of the 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution four years later, aimed at clarifying and streamlining the electoral process.

This time, if such a House vote were to be necessary, it would take place on January 6, 2025.

How would this vote take place?

“Each state, regardless of population, casts a single vote to elect the president in contingent elections,” according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS).

In other words, Republican-leaning Wyoming, with its city-sized population of 500,000, would have the same influence as Democratic California, home to 39 million people, AFP reported .

Although the U.S. capital, Washington, has three electoral college votes, it would not get votes in a conditional election because it is not a state.

States with two or more representatives should hold an internal vote to determine which candidate to support, according to a CRS report.

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To win the presidency, a candidate must obtain a majority of all 50 states, or 26 electoral votes. Currently, this would likely give Republicans an advantage.

However, specific rules governing the contingent election process are expected to be determined by the House, which could trigger intense debate and potentially lead to a prolonged period of constitutional crisis.

Given the razor-thin margins of the current campaign, it is easy to understand how such a process could further strain the already frayed nerves of American voters, many of whom are deeply concerned about the integrity of the election and suspect widespread irregularities.