Prez polls: Who votes and how?

The President of India is elected by an electoral college, comprising the Members of both the Houses of Parliament as well as the MLAs of all state Assemblies.

The total number of members in the Electoral College for the Presidential elections in 2007 is 4896 (233 Rajya Sabha MPs + 543 Lok Sabha MPs + 4,120 State MLAs).

However, unlike any other election, the value of votes of the voters are different here. While the value of votes of each MP is the same, the strength of a vote of an MLA is determined by way of proportional representation.

The MPs, too, have a specific value for each vote that is determined by dividing the total value of votes of all the states by the total number of elected members of Parliament (Lok Sabha 543 + Rajya Sabha 233).

The total value of votes of all members of each State Assembly is worked out by multiplying the number of elective seats in the Assembly by the number of votes for each member.

For instance, in case of Andhra Pradesh, since the total population (1971 Census) is 43,502,708 and the total number of elective seats in the Assembly 294, the number of votes for each member would be 43,502,708/1000 x 294 = 147.96 or 148. This means the value of each Andhra MLA's vote is 148.

Now multiplying that number with the number of elective seats can give the value of total votes for the all members of the House:

294x148 = 43,512

The Constitution (Eighty-fourth) Amendment Act, 2001 provides that until the relevant population figures for the first census to be taken after the year 2026 have been published, the population of the states for the purposes of calculation of the value of votes for the Presidential Election shall mean the population as ascertained at the 1971-census.

> Total electors for presidential election: 4120 MLAs + 776 MPs = 4,896

> Value of vote of one MP: It's calculated by dividing the total value of votes of all the states by the total number of elected members of Parliament:-

> Total value of votes of all states = 549474

> Total No of MPs: LS (543) + RS (233) = 776

> Value of each vote: 549474/776 = 708

> Total value of votes of all MPs = 708 X 776 = 5,49,408

> Value of vote of an MLA:- Total population of state/no of elective seats

> Total value of votes of all state MLAs = 549474

> Total value of votes of all the 4896 electors: 549474 + 549408 = 10,98,882

	State	No of Seats in Assembly	Number of Population	Value of vote of 1 MLA	Total Votes
1	ANDHRA PRADESH	294	43502708	148	148×294=43512
2	ARUNACHAL PRADESH	60	467511	8	008×060=480
3	ASSAM	126	14625152	116	116×126=14616
4	BIHAR	243	42126236	173	173×243=42039
5	CHHATTIvSGARH	90	11637494	129	129×090=11610
6	GOA	40	795120	20	020×040=800
7	GUJARAT	182	26697475	147	147×182=26754
8	HARYANA	90	10036808	112	112×090=10080
9	HIMACHAL PRADESH	68	3460434	51	051×068=3468
10	JAMMU & KASHMIR	87	6300000	72	072×087=6264
11	JHARKHAND	81	14227133	176	176×081=14256
12	KARNATAKA	224	29299014	131	131×224=29344
13	KERALA	140	21347375	152	152×140=21280
14	MADHYA PRADESH	230	30016625	131	131×230=30130
15	MAHARASHTRA	288	50412235	175	175×288=50400
16	MANIPUR	60	1072753	18	018×060=1080
17	MEGHALAYA	60	1011699	17	017×060=1020
18	MIZORAM	40	332390	8	008×040=320
19	NAGALAND	60	516449	9	009×060=540
20	ORISSA	147	21944615	149	149×147=21903
21	PUNJAB	117	13551060	116	116×117=13572
22	RAJASTHAN	200	25765806	129	129×200=25800
23	SIKKIM	32	209843	7	007×032=224
24	TAMIL NADU	234	41199168	176	176×234=41184
25	TRIPURA	60	1556342	26	026×060=1560
26	UTTARAKHAND	70	4491239	64	064×070=4480
27	UTTAR PRADESH	403	83849905	208	208×403=83824
28	WEST BENGAL	294	44312011	151	151×294=44394
29	NCT OF DELHI	70	4065698	58	058×070=4060
30	PUDUCHERRY	30	471707	16	016×030=480
Total		4120		549302005	= 5,49,474