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USA: Why the president is not directly elected

Who elects the US president?(Bild: Christian Ohde / ChromOrange / picturedesk.com)

The President of the United States of America is not elected by US citizens, but by 538 electors. What is it all about, and why is the election always held on a Tuesday in November ...

When a president of the USA is elected, it is not by the individual US citizens who are allowed to cast their vote, but by exactly 538 electors. Each of the 50 US states has a fixed number of electors. Their number is based on the total number of deputies and senators that the state has in Congress. For example, there are currently 54 electors in California, 40 in Texas and 19 in Pennsylvania who elect the President.