Scorecard: Projected results in the Electoral College

Voters went to the polls in the U.S. presidential election on Tuesday but the Electoral College, not the popular vote, actually elects the president of the United States.

There are 538 members of the Electoral College, allotted to each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Two hundred seventy votes are needed to win the election.

Following is a tally of the likely Electoral College votes won by Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, based on states where at least two television networks have projected a winner, as well as those in which little contest was expected:

LIKELY TOTAL IN THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE RACE SO FAR

Obama: 290

Romney: 206

STATES WITH A PROJECTED WINNER

State Likely winner Electoral votes

California Obama 55

Colorado Obama 9

Connecticut Obama 7

Delaware Obama 3

District of Columbia Obama 3

Hawaii Obama 4

Illinois Obama 20

Iowa Obama 6

Maryland Obama 10

Maine Obama 4

Massachusetts Obama 11

Minnesota Obama 10

New Jersey Obama 14

Michigan Obama 16

New Hampshire Obama 4

New Mexico Obama 5

New York Obama 29

Nevada Obama 6

Ohio Obama 18

Oregon Obama 7

Pennsylvania Obama 20

Rhode Island Obama 4

Vermont Obama 3

Washington Obama 12

Wisconsin Obama 10

Arizona Romney 11

Arkansas Romney 6

Alabama Romney 9

Georgia Romney 16

Idaho Romney 4

Indiana Romney 11

Kansas Romney 6

Kentucky Romney 8

Louisiana Romney 8

Mississippi Romney 6

Missouri Romney 10

Montana Romney 3

North Dakota Romney 3

North Carolina Romney 15

Oklahoma Romney 7

South Carolina Romney 9

South Dakota Romney 3

Tennessee Romney 11

Texas Romney 38

Utah Romney 6

West Virginia Romney 5

Wyoming Romney 3

SWING STATES WITHOUT A PROJECTED WINNER

State Electoral votes

Florida 29

Virginia 13

STATES WHERE LITTLE CONTEST IS EXPECTED (1)

State Likely winner Electoral votes

Alaska Romney 3

Nebraska Romney 5

(1) Before the election, little contest was expected in the majority of U.S. states, with polls of voters showing consistent leads for either Obama or Romney.

(Reporting by Washington newsroom; Compiled by Jason Lange and Melissa Bland)