The electoral college system in the United States is an example of a compromise in the United States Constitution.
When the United States was founded, some Americans favored a system of direct democracy, in which after each vote is counted the candidate with the most votes would win. Other American favored a more indirect system in which either Congress or the States would select the President.
The Electoral College was a compromise. The system provides that each state designates a certain number of Electors, based on the state’s population. The state’s Electors vote for a candidate after the states’ citizens finish voting. The candidate who wins a majority of votes in the Electoral College becomes the President of the United States.
Almost all states follow a winner-take-all system. That is, the Electors must vote for the candidate who won a plurality of votes in that state.