A 0-1 knapsack model for evaluating the possible Electoral College performance in two-party US presidential elections

The minimal fractions of the popular vote that could have elected a US President in the Electoral College in two-party elections in 1948–2004 are calculated by solving auxiliary knapsack problems. It is shown that under the rules of US presidential elections determined by Article 2 of the US Constitution, the values of these minimal fractions were within the range 16.072%–22.103%.