@djmpb The Republican rationalization they are fed to repeat is "It exist otherwise New York and California would run everything." It is a lie both in that statement and in the reason it was created.
CA and NY have large conservative voting minorities. The most conservative state has large liberal voting minority - like 40%. If those states vote Dem barely, and small Red states vote Pub overwhelmingly, then it helps Dems more than a national popular vote.
@djmpb "Why it exists" My answer to one person who spewed the line to me is "Slavery. " And he was befuddled.
It was created to give Southern states partial credit for slave populations, without allowing them to vote of course. The 3/5 compromise, plus the 2 votes per state regardless of size gave small states a proportionally larger say.
It also had to do with 18th Century logistics of counting votes.
Archaic on all counts.
@S_r_stone Couldn't agree more! When I try and explain the EC to people back home in Australia they just look at me like I am a crazy person.