text: Yes, it can be said that the Electoral College method of choosing the president can turn potential voters away from a candidate that has no hope of carrying their state. Voters knowing their vote will have no effect are more likely to pay less attention to the campaign than they would be if the popular vote decided the President. Either way, no voter's vote is going to swing a national election and, with that information in mind, about half of the eligable voters in America voted in 2012's election.