Washington (CNN) There are few founding institutions in the United States less well-understood than the Electoral College, the somewhat mysterious body of officials who formally elect the nation's president every four years.

You thought you would be voting directly for a presidential candidate? "One man, one vote," as they say? It's not that simple.

Where did the idea come from?

Instead of setting up a presidential election system through direct democracy, the nation's founders established the Electoral College in part to ensure the entire nation has a more equal say in the choosing of a national president. In a time when the states were more autonomous and the federal government didn't have as much power as it does today, the framers wanted to offset the chance that a single populous state or region would put forth a "favorite son" candidate that would almost exclusively represent the contender's home state and disregard the needs of other parts of the country.

How many members of the Electoral College are there?

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