How many electoral votes are needed to win the presidency?

To win the presidency in the United States, a candidate must receive a majority of the electoral votes allocated by the Electoral College. There are a total of 538 electoral votes, and a candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes to secure a victory. This threshold is established to ensure that the winning candidate has received sufficient support across a broad section of the electorate, reflecting the federal nature of the election process where both populous and less populous states must be represented. Therefore, 270 is the necessary number for a candidate to claim the presidency.