Very correct, however the slave states were not necessarily sparsely populated. It's just they had a minority of "qualified voters" (by the rules of that time).
The North had a big majority of qualified voters under those rules. The electoral college was designed to prevent a "Tyranny of the Majority".
While it may seem outdated to some, those of us living in the rural Mid-West are a little wary of a New York - L.A. - San Fransisco axis and remain comfortable with the E.C.