Most voters in the United States marked their ballots in the presidential election on November 8. But they did not vote directly for a candidate. Instead, they chose what the Constitution calls electors. On December 19, 538 electors will meet at statehouses across the country. They will mark their own ballots to officially choose the 45th president of the United States. The electors are members of the Electoral College. The meeting of the electors usually receives little attention. But this year, opponents of President-elect Donald Trump have tried to urge the Electoral College to deny him the presidency. In the late 1700s, some founders of the United States wanted members of Congress to be able to choose the president. They did not trust that voters would always make a good choice. Others wanted voters to directly decide. So, as a compromise, the founders created a system they called the Electoral College. Members meet after the election to formally choose the President.