According to these texts, winner-take-all is a type of electoral system where one political party has the potential to win every office within a district or area. It is based on the belief that representation should go to the candidate with the most votes, regardless of whether they have a majority or not. Other names for this system include single-member plurality voting and first-past-the-post. The winner-take-all system is used in the United States and is often criticized for favoring two major political parties, even though the Constitution does not mention political parties. The Electoral College, a group of 538 electors, is a key component of the winner-take-all system, with a candidate needing 270 electoral votes to become president. This system is seen in contrast to plurality voting, where the candidate with the most votes wins, and third parties, which are not part of the two major parties. The founding fathers established the Electoral College as a compromise for electing the president through a vote by the people.