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Originally the US Constitution stated that senators should be chosen by state legislatures. The 17th Amendment that was passed in 1913 stated that the senators should be chosen through an election within their state.
In a nascent democracy the first step is to create and establish a process whereby delegates to a constitutional convention cam be selected. This can be a muddled affair. Who, for example, has the authority to convene such a convention? In a nation with an established constitution, that constitution should include the procedure for amending the existing constitution. A convention may be organized to propose amendments but there is still a ratification step whereby the constituent provinces or sub-states formally accept the constitution.
They are always elected by the people for the Senate and The House of Representatives.
This requirement is part of the original US Constitution. I would guess that the framers wanted to remove any possibility that a young radical, perhaps a student, would capture the presidency. The whole idea of letting common people elect the supreme leader was so new that possibly unnecessary checks were put in to calm fears and secure ratification.
Prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1913, U.S. Senators were selected by the state legislatures. The 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides for the direct election of U.S. senators by the people in each state.