As voters cast their choices for the next President of the United States -- and several other important races -- it's important to remember the role the Electoral College will play as votes are counted and tallied.
Voters casting their ballots will essentially be telling the Electoral College which candidate they will ultimately be voting for, since the race isn't decided on popular vote.
"I think Ohio is certainly a critical state and I describe it usually as a second tier swing state this election," said Andrew Lewis, a political science professor at the University of Cincinnati.
Ohio has two Electoral College groups: A Republican slate and a Democratic slate. Each is comprised of up to 18 state and local politicians. If most Ohioans voted Republican, that slate would get to cast its ballots in the Electoral College round, and vice-versa.
"In Ohio, we give them all to the winner," said Lewis. "So if you win Ohio by one vote, you get all 18 electoral college votes."
In every state but Nebraska and Maine, electors are obligated to vote on which candidate voters have selected. A single candidate must have 270 Electoral College votes, won throughout the nation, to become president.
"This is a hard-fought campaign, there are two competing visions for America’s future, and I think it’s going to come down to who can get their vote out," said Ken Blackwell, former Secretary of State and State Treasurer. "There are not a lot of undecided people in this election."
