Why do they ( the electors in the electoral college) wait until December to vote? Is it just a formality?

Why, when the majority of the popular vote is for one candidate, would the other candidate be selected???
I've also heard they commit to electing a specific candidate before election, is that true?
AND Why should the American Citizens vote if our vote doesn't have any effect on who is elected?? Am I just misunderstanding??

Sherri - The December date for the vote accomplished two things. It provided time enough for travel from the home community, and it allowed time for the state to resolve issues with a vote. The electors meet in their state and vote, reporting in great detail who received any votes and how many. The results of that vote are then taken to the U.S. Capital where, in January, the votes are counted by the Vice-President in a joint session of Congress. Our Founders, concerned that an undesirable person might receive a majority of votes, did not bind the electors, but gave them their will in voting for the president and vice-president. In 1957, Maryland required, for the first time, that the electors cast their votes for the winner of the popular vote.

Wendy - The Electoral College was a compromise necessary to obtain sufficient votes to pass the congress and be ratified by nine states. Each state's representative wanted to ensure that they had a voice in the new national government. States like Pennsylvania and New York had large populations and large delegations that could dictate to the states with small populations, particularly those in the south. The first glitch in the system came in 1800 with a tie in the electoral college requiring thirty-six ballots to select Jefferson. It took twenty elections, until 1888, for a president to be elected without winning the popular vote.

Prior to the election, each candidate for president advises the state in writing of the names of their ten electors. The ten people selected by the winner meet in Annapolis in December and cast their votes for the winner. Since electors were not always required to vote for the winner of the popular vote, this could create some anxiety and surprises.

Your vote counts. Your candidate might not win, but your vote counts. In all but a few states, the winner of the popular vote receives the electoral votes for that state.
In 1992, Bill Clinton was elected president without a majority of the vote. That happened again in 1996. Both times, his electoral total was similar to Obama's.
In 2000, Bush did not win the popular vote, but did win the electoral vote. In 2004, he won both. Neither time did Bush's larger popular vote result in an electoral vote as large as Clinton's.
In the election this week, Obama won an overwhelming electoral college victory. The popular vote was (from election night reports on television) in the area of four percent.

For more and greater information, I suggest a visit to http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/speccol/sc2200/sc2221/000031/000000/html/00000001.html

I sincerely hope this was helpful.