How is the president of the United States elected? Why is this the method used? Is this the best and most efficient way of electing the president of the United States? Questions such as these are well suited for a mathematics discussion that promotes numeracy, because, "notwithstanding the immense value of numeracy for education and vocation, its most profound value to society may be the role it plays in supporting informed citizenship and democratic government" (Steen 1999, p. 11). These questions can help high school students, who are just about to reach voting age, grapple with challenging mathematics that help build numeracy and political issues like voting. They are also important because "school mathematics experiences at all levels should include opportunities to learn about mathematics by working on problems arising in contexts outside of mathematics" (NCTM 2000, pp. 65-66). In this activity, students will be guided through a discussion that helps them make sense of the U.S. Electoral College and how its role in the election process relies on an important mathematical topic: proportional reasoning.