The US was established as a Federal Republic not a democracy and the electoral college was the means to ensure it was the states that elected the Executive. The intended way to control it was to control the state legislatures in very much the same way the Senate was selected.
“...the electoral college was the means to ensure it was the states that elected the Executive.”
No, it was intended to keep the big states from controlling an election.
Why do you think the Left now hates the electoral college?