Why did the framers decide on the electoral college?

Answer 1

If every single person was allowed a vote, at a time when the fastest form of information was the newspaper, the people wouldn't have enough information to really make the best choices. As well, before the 1800s, there wasn't a requirement to file for the running of president. All someone had to do was tell their family and friends that they wanted to be president. If, at the time, every person voted directly, there'd be a large amount of the votes going in small portions to other candidates. Because of this, they had each state appoint a group of leaders for the vote.

The electoral College was formed for a couple of reasons- one of the reasons was that- in the 1800's many people were not very highly educated. If they did not know what the presidential candidates were saying they were going to do, then how could they know who to vote for? that is why in the beginning, the electoral college was made up of highly educated individuals, that were literate, and could vote for the candidate who could have the most potential as President of the United States of America. Another reason the college was formed, was because states that are more populated , like California, wouldn't have more Representation , like Rhode Island, that way every state is equal.

The original reason for the electoral college was that the majority of people were illiterate or not able to travel in order to vote. State governments would then elect electors to decide on the president.

Some of the more wealthy members of the Constitutional Convention believed that the common people would not know as much about politics as wealthy people.

Answer 2

So no group of heavily populated states could monopolize the presidency