WASHINGTON - It happened in 2000, and only three times in
history before that, but this year it could happen again. One
presidential candidate could win the popular vote while the
other wins the Electoral College. Democrat Al Gore won the
popular vote in 2000, but former President George Bush took the
presidency by winning more electoral votes. "It does not come
down to the popular vote, it comes down to the Electoral
College. E very now and then you have a candidate who wins the
Electoral College but loses the popular vote," says University
of Mary Washington Political Scientist Steve Farnsworth. To win
the presidential election, a candidate needs 270 electoral
votes. Those votes come from an individual state's electors
who've pledged to vote for whomever wins the state. In states
affected by Superstorm Sandy, including New York and New Jersey
where President Barack Obama is favored to win, popular vote
totals may be low. "It's going to reduce his numbers nationally
and make it possible that we could have a