masbury says:

Polls do not represent electoral votes. Electoral votes come from states, usually all-or-nothing. A 51%-49% win in most states means 100% of its electoral votes. Thus, the same election that appears close in polling, can be a landslide if the candidate focuses on winning the states he or she can actually win. I'm not saying that the American way of doing it is the best way. I'm simply saying that, at this point in history, the candidate who masters an electoral vote strategy wins. And it appears to be happening.