Discovering? This was a main argument during the founding the United States and the reason it’s supposed to be a republic not a democracy.
That system was never going to survive alongside immigration (driven by capital demanding cheaper foreign labor in the 1800s), the growth of middle-class and educated women, and the spread into the frontier.
It's not an accident that contemporary US Republicans have started repeating this talking point. The last Republican challenger to win the presidency (not re-election) by popular vote was George HW Bush 35 years ago. Expect to see less 'will of the people' talk from them in the years ahead.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/10/republican...