Infographic: Americans Versus the Electoral College

In 18th-century America, when there were no formal political party structures and only a few million settlers, the Founding Fathers created a method to elect a president that made the most sense at the time: an indirect decision by the Electoral College, comprised of the most informed individuals from each state.

Today, that method itself remains mostly the same, but the nation has changed dramatically—enough to question the way its leaders are selected. The primary fear among the system's critics is the possibility of electing a president who was not directly chosen by the majority of people.