[odawg]

The writers of the Constitution required a general election for the presidency. The electors and the vote of the population are not contradictory concepts.

[Publius]

The writers of the Constitution did not require a general election for the presidency. According to the Constitution, the state legislatures choose the presidential electors. Starting in the early 19th Century, legislatures began letting the people choose the electors. By 1844, only South Carolina still had the legislature choosing electors, and that ended in 1868.

[Jacquerie]

The Framers considered and rejected direct election by the people.

Donald Trump: The Echo of Our Framers' Uncorrupted President.