I agree with the above comments but would add that the answer to the question you seek is less relevant than you think. The nomination is a requirement, but there is flexibility in where this nomination is charged to behind the scenes. The key takeaway for EVERY applicant is that IF THE SCHOOL WANTS THE CANDIDATE...... they will FIND a path to nominating the student. As a USAFA ALO, I have literally seen 5 students from the same high school accept USAFA appointments in the same admissions cycle. The math only works if USAFA can assign the nomination to alternative nominating authorities (behind the scenes and out of visibility to the candidate).
I sit on a MOC board for a very competitive area. In the most recent admissions cycle, the MOC had 1 official USNA nomination slot but netted more than 6 students to USNA this cycle. Again, with only 1 official slot, you can see that there are other forces in play here that make the official number less important in the big scheme of things. Everyone here at SAF is immersed in all things SA related and it is easy to assume that the same level of enthusiasm is present all across the US. Sadly, this is not the case. Some districts have zero applicants, some MOC refuse to nominate to SA due to moral objections, some districts have zero qualified applicants, and a host of other factors that result in slots that would go unused if not allocated to other deserving candidates in more competitive districts.
The nomination requirement is a hurdle in the admissions process, but it is less of a hurdle than you think. The key is to make the list of 10 names for the MOC or the Senator. Once the candidate has secured a nomination, the actual administrative slot this is tagged to is irrelevant because the technical requirement has been met. The offer of appointment to the MOC slate winner is only one round of competition in the bigger talent show. It is not the final round of competition. The admissions process is not a single elimination tournament but rather one with multiple consolation rounds and you are never truly out of the game until the start of INDOC/BCT.