From my American History college class a long time ago - like 50 plus years ago.
The urban - rural divide with its associated population imbalance was a political fact. But then it was Boston and Virginia. To gain and maintain the support of the rural states the electoral college was established. Sidebar - five of the first six presidents came from Virginia
Since it was based on the same representation process as Congress it forced the national political parties to at least visit each state in some manner.
BTW have you notice that pushes to destroy the Electoral College only occur after Democratic losses?
The Dems have won the popular vote in 6 out of the last 7 elections. There are more of them than us thanks to mass immigration. If we don’t reduce LEGAL immigration, the Dems will be the permanent majority party within a decade.
“Since it was based on the same representation process as Congress it forced the national political parties to at least visit each state in some manner.”
Under the current winner take all system large urban political parties can skew the election through voter fraud, and massive get out the vote drives.
Our founding fathers knew that the urban area vote could be manipulated, and hence set up the Electoral College, to avoid larger states and population area dominating elections. They created a Republic not a Democracy to avoid mob rule.
And Democrats are the only ones who try to stop clean elections. Things that make you go ...hmmm.
Four of the first six. Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe were Virginians, but the two Adamses were from Massachusetts.