WASHINGTON: The Supreme Court ruled Monday that US states have the right to remove and punish members of the Electoral College for not backing the presidential candidate whom they pledged to support.

The unanimous ruling, which comes ahead of November's election between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden, allows states to use measures to bind Electoral College members to their commitments, essentially preventing them from going against the will of a state's voting majority.

The Electoral College, a peculiarly American institution, is comprised of 538 electors who translate the popular vote by casting their ballots in favour of the candidate who gets the most votes in each state. Historically, so-called faithless electors have been rare. During the presidential elections organized from 1796 to 2016, only 180 electors have voted contrary to their pledge, according to a document admitted to the court.