Population shifts alter electoral college votes.

Americans move around a lot. Each year, thousands of families and individuals pack their bags and move from one state to another for employment or personal reasons.

Whatever the reason, population shifts produce changes in the number of Electoral College votes different states are allotted. Because there are only 538 electoral votes, a rise in one state's population means votes have to be taken away from states that lose population. Since the 2000 election, the populations of 18 states have changed. And that population shift may be working in President Bush's favor. If Bush wins all the states he won in the 2000 election, he will get seven more Electoral College votes than he did in the 2000 election because population growth in those states has increased the number of electoral votes allotted to them.

This bar graph identifies the 18 states whose population has shifted enough since the last presidential election to result in gains for some states and losses in other states. Use the data in the graph to answer the questions on the right.

1. Three states had the greatest increase in Electoral College votes since the 2000 election. Name the states and the number of votes they gained. --,--, and--each gained-- votes in the Electoral College.

2. The Electoral College votes allotted to three states in 2004 added up to almost exactly 45 percent of the 270 votes needed to win the presidency. Which three states are they? --,--, and--.

3. In the 1988 presidential election, Nebraska, a state not shown on the...