The 538 members are based on the current representation of the Senate and House of Representatives: 100 Senators, 435 House Representatives, and 3 Representatives for the District of Columbia (“What is the Electoral College?”, n.d.). A state's representation, however, is not what one would expect, as each state starts with three representatives, and then increases proportionally to its population. However, to ensure that candidates pay more attention to smaller states, they are awarded more electoral votes, which are taken by the larger ones