WASHINGTON – Why is it that one candidate can win the popular vote but another wins the electoral vote and thus the presidency? Four candidates in history have won the popular vote only to be denied the presidency by the Electoral College. The Electoral College was devised at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. 270 electoral votes to winTo be elected president, the winner must get at least half plus one — or 270 electoral votes. It would take a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College — an unlikely move because of how difficult it is to pass and ratify constitutional changes.