E.C. always as democratic as your state

The founding fathers wanted the largest number of voters allowed in a state to vote for the US House. The Presidential election was open: states could have as much democracy as they chose.

In states where free African-Americans (NY), women (NJ), and non-propertied tax-paying tradesmen (PA) all of these could vote for US Representatives as far as Madison was concerned. In Convention, Alexander Hamilton (NY) would have had all state boundaries redrawn to have equal population. James Wilson (PA) wanted direct popular election.

Va abolished religious test for office in 1786. CT would require religious test until 1818. PA and MD led the way with at-large popular votes from 1789. South Carolina held onto legislature appointments until 1868. The Electoral College has always been as democratic as your state.

E.C. - reason to exist.

From Federalist 68: The election of the President should be

1. from the people in states, in national coalitions.

2. immediate, not disrupted, not corrupted.

3. by the people, not courts or legislatures.