That was a compromise between those who thought that Congress should select the President and those who thought the voting public should elect him.
A presidential election is one where citizens vote for the President. In this type of election, voters directly choose their preferred candidate for the position of President of their country. The candidate who receives the majority of the electoral votes or the popular votes (depending on the country's system) wins the election and becomes the President.
"The Electoral College is a process, not a place. The founding fathers established it in the Constitution as a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens."
The election of the president is determined by a popular vote and by the electoral college. The presidential candidate needs a majority of electoral votes to win, and the electoral votes usually coincide with the popular vote (with the exception of the election of George W Bush in 2000)
The president received no electoral votes from Southern states in the election.
The electoral election
A person wins a Presidential election in America slightly different from what most people think. Most people would tell you that the citizens vote and all votes are accounted for and whichever candidate receives the most votes is the President. However, the President is in fact selected by the electoral college. This is an uncommon occurrence but in the event that the popular vote (the citizens vote) differs from the electoral college, then the President is selected by the electoral college. So in reality citizens votes don't mean anything.
The President received no electoral votes from Southern states in the election
the electoral college
Presidential election is an indirect vote in that citizens cast ballots for a slate of members of the U.S. Electoral College; the electors in turn directly elect the President and Vice President
electoral college
You're close, but it's not in February. The new President is inaugurated in January, after the election in November, so the electoral college has to meet earlier than February. But they do elect a President. The general election elects members of the electoral college.
Electoral College