It's not "archaic" at all. Remember, the US isn't just one big country. It's a confederation of 50 states, all with their own unique populations, political climates and concerns. The Electoral College is in place to make sure there's more parity between the states. California, Texas and New York still have a lot of influence in the process with 122 electoral votes between them. But the system makes sure that they can't completely dominate the process at the expense of everyone else. It's actually a smart system for dealing with a population as large and diverse as ours.