Five times in U.S. history the person named president was not the candidate chosen by the majority of voters. Each time that happened, there were accusations of fraud, interference, or a system rigged against the people. At the root of the discrepancy is the electoral college, an institution formed by the framers of the U.S. Constitution as a compromise between popular election of the President, and appointment by Congress. The electoral system is one of the least understood processes in U.S. government, yet it lies at the heart of our representative democracy.