text: in the election of 2012 Barack Obama received 61.7 percent of the electoral vote compared to only 51.3 percent of the popular votes cast for him and Mitt Romney. the amount of electoral votes should not determine which of the nominees will win the election i should be whomever receives the majority of popular votes. in the election of 2000 Al Gore received more individual votes than George W. Bush nationwide, but Bush won the election, he received 271 electoral vote compared to Gore's 266 electoral votes.