"Our founders never intended the EC to function as it does now." Then the right thing to do, is change the Constitution to either change how the Electoral College works, or abolish it altogether, not do an end run around it because that would be more easily accomplished. The fact that our Constitution lets the states decide how to allot their electoral votes, it is not an invitation to subvert another part of that founding document.
The NPVIC, IMO, does that.
It would be analogous to ridding oneself of an abusive spouse through murder. The goal is right. The method is not.