Where the Electoral College Came From

The 1787 Convention wanted neither Congress nor direct popular election choosing the president. The compromise let state legislatures pick electors, equal to congressional seats, who would cast independent ballots.

Most founders expected electors to deliberate, and the college has chosen against the popular vote winner five times, in 1824, 1876, 1888, 2000, and 2016. The Twelfth Amendment fixed the 1800 tie mess, and today electors are pledged party loyalists chosen by state parties.

Reform efforts, from the National Popular Vote compact to amendment proposals, have repeatedly stalled against small-state advantage and partisan stalemate..