Which of the following accurately describes how a winner is determined in a presidential election with no majority?

Prepare for the Consular Fellows Program Test with flashcards, multiple choice questions, and detailed explanations. Get ready for your exam results!

In a presidential election, if no candidate receives a majority of the electoral votes, the decision on who becomes president is made by the House of Representatives. This process is defined by the 12th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. During this vote, each state delegation in the House has one vote, regardless of its population size or the number of representatives it has. To win, a candidate must receive a majority of these state votes, which underscores the unique nature of the electoral process and reinforces the federal structure of the United States.

This method ensures that smaller states are given equal weight in the selection of the president, which is a crucial element of the compromise that shaped the political system in the U.S. Since not all options accurately convey this mechanism—such as mentioning members voting individually or requiring a popular or electoral vote margin—this choice stands out as the correct description of how a winner is determined when no candidate reaches the necessary electoral majority.

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