What is an Elector?

An elector is a member of a group of people who are entitled to vote in the election of a high-ranking official, such as a president or a pope. The term "elector" comes from the Latin word "elector," which means "one who chooses."

In the United States, for example, the Electoral College is a group of electors who are chosen by each state to cast votes for the president and vice president. Each state is allocated a certain number of electoral votes based on its population, and the candidate who receives the most votes in a state wins all of that state's electoral votes. The candidate who receives the majority of the electoral votes (at least 270 out of 538) wins the presidency.

In the Catholic Church, cardinals are considered electors because they have the power to choose the new pope when a vacancy arises. The College of Cardinals is made up of all the cardinals in the world, and they gather in Rome to cast their votes for the new pope.