“Popular vote means every state counts”
No, almost the exact opposite. Popular vote means simple majority counts and states are irrelevant. A handful of big cities could choose the president. At least with the electoral college suburbs and elsewhere can duke it out with the Democrat centers of population.
Guess we’ll need to agree to disagree on this one.
My definition of a democracy is one vote, one person and ensuring that those who vote are eligible. Every vote must count, and that means that no one can shift votes even if for my candidate, that all votes can be audited and recounted, and that an elite few called “electors” are not used to consolidate our votes. We must have honest accurate voting and it must be overseen by all involved, and the desire of the media for prompt results needs nullified.