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How well do you know U.S. elections?

12 quick questions. Pick an answer for each, then press "Check my answers".

1. How many electoral votes does a candidate need to win the presidency?
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270. 270, a majority of the 538 electors. Learn more →

2. How long is a term in the U.S. House?
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2 years. Two years, so every House seat is on the ballot in every federal election. Learn more →

3. About how much of the Senate is up for election every two years?
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A third. About a third: senators serve six-year terms in three staggered classes. Learn more →

4. How many senators must vote to end a filibuster on most bills?
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60. 60 of 100, the three-fifths cloture rule in place since 1975. Learn more →

5. How many states must ratify a constitutional amendment?
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38. 38, three-quarters of the 50 states. Learn more →

6. When does a newly elected Congress take office?
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January 3. January 3, under the 20th Amendment. The president is sworn in on January 20. Learn more →

7. A poll has a margin of error of ±3 points. What does that describe?
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The error from surveying a sample instead of everyone. Sampling error only. Real polls can miss by more, from who answers and how questions are asked. Learn more →

8. How many voting members does the House have?
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435. 435, a number set by law, divided among the states after each census. Learn more →

9. Who is next in line after the vice president?
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Speaker of the House. The Speaker of the House, then the Senate president pro tempore. Learn more →

10. In state politics, what is a trifecta?
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One party holding the governorship and both legislative chambers. One party controls the governor's office and both chambers of the legislature. Learn more →

11. Which state has no voter registration?
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North Dakota. North Dakota: voters show ID at the polls instead. Learn more →

12. How many justices sit on the U.S. Supreme Court?
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9. Nine: a chief justice and eight associate justices, a number set by Congress since 1869. Learn more →

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