What is the purpose of the Electoral College?

The Electoral College is established primarily for the purpose of formally electing the President and Vice President of the United States. This system was created by the Founding Fathers and is outlined in the U.S. Constitution. Each state is allocated a number of electors based on its representation in Congress, which reflects the state’s population size and influence. When citizens cast their votes during the presidential election, they are actually voting for a slate of electors pledged to support a particular candidate. This indirect election process serves to balance the influence of populous states with less populous ones in determining the country's leadership, thereby upholding the federal structure of the U.S. government.

The other options do not accurately capture the main function of the Electoral College. Conducting primary elections refers to a different process for selecting party nominees, while representing the interests of individual states and overseeing voting during elections pertain to broader electoral and governance activities that are not the primary purpose of the Electoral College itself.