Faithless Elector
An Electoral College elector who casts a vote for a different candidate than the one they were pledged to support.
A faithless elector is a member of the Electoral College who, when casting their official electoral vote, votes for a presidential or vice-presidential candidate other than the one to whom they were pledged based on their state's popular vote outcome.
Faithless electors have occurred in several elections throughout US history, but in most cases they have not affected the outcome of the election.
A 2020 Supreme Court ruling (Chiafalo v. Washington) upheld the right of states to bind their electors and penalize or replace those who vote differently from their pledge. As of 2026, more than half of states have laws designed to enforce elector pledges.
The practical effect of faithless electors has been minimal, but in a very close election where the margin is one or two electoral votes, they could theoretically affect the outcome.
Keep learning
The system of 538 electors who formally elect the US president; a candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win.
A vote cast by an Electoral College elector toward electing the president; each state's electors equal its House seats plus two Senate seats.
The majority of 538 total electoral votes a presidential candidate must reach to be elected president.