text: It can be argued that the Electoral College method of selecting the president may turn off potential voters for a candidate who has no hope for carrying their state-Democrats in Texas, for example, or Republicians in California. Knowing their vote will have no effect, they have less incentive to pay attention to the campaign than they would have if the president were picked by the popular vote. But of course no voter's vote swings a national election, and in spite of that, about one-half the eligible American population did vote in election. Voters in presidential elections are people who want to express a political preference rather than people who think that a single vote may decide an election.