The reason we have such a funny system is because of one thing: the government is designed to be representative of the states rather than the people.

It's really a comprimise though. In the house of representatives, states get votes proportional to population. But in the senate, every state gets two resprentatives. California and Rhode Island both get 2 senators.

For the electoral college, it's similar to the house of representatives. Each state gets an electoral vote equal to it's number of senators and representatives, and whoever gets the majority of that vote wins the election.

Part of the reason for having such a system is to ensure that the people in the individual states get their own voices represenated in their own states. The 10th amendment states that the powers not specifically granted to the central government are reserved for the states. It's been the most ignored amendment we have, but it still applies. If Wyoming doesn't want a sales tax, but New York does, they should be able to be different. If Texas wants to make concealed weapons legal, they should have the right to do that. The central government, respresentative of the other states, shouldn't step in to decide things on the local level. The local governments are the best expression of the will of those people.