If you are comparing vote by counties, you should also consider using a map like this. Really, neither the popular vote nor the electoral college make sense. The system the founders set up made the most sense:

• Counties/municipalities regulate (the activities of) individuals.
• States regulate (the activities of) counties/municipalities.
• The country regulates (the activities of) States and guarantees the rights of the People.

Note that "to regulate" meant "to make regular." Not necessarily "to restrict." In such a system it would make sense that representative voting would work thusly:

• Individuals vote for county/municipal offices.
• Counties/municipalities vote for state offices.
• States vote for federal offices.

The Supreme Court's decisions in United States v. Darby Lumber Co., 312 U.S. 100 (1941) and Wickard v. Filburn, 317 U.S. 111 (1942) expanded the commerce clause and destroyed the 10th Amendment. This along with individuals' increasing feelings of entitlement, particularly since the 80s, have collapsed the delicate balances of power, authority, and regulation the founders set up. Now people care least about their local elections, the areas they can most affect. And, while caring the most about federal offices, they least understand the purpose of those offices.

The electoral college could be replaced by having state governors & state legislators vote for federal offices or some similar system, but to replace the electoral college by the popular vote makes no sense at all. At that point we might as well get rid of representation altogether and just vote directly on issues ourselves as a Congress of the People.

What people forget is how easily we can be psychologically manipulated. This recent election alone shows how much people vote with their guts and hearts instead of their brains. When elections use the same techniques used to sell chicken—techniques which manipulate feelings—people can't be trusted to vote. This is why only landowners could vote at one time.

They were the only ones educated enough to understand governance and the only ones personally invested enough to care to follow what was going on in the news. I certainly am for people of any stripe being able to vote, but with that comes the responsibility of understanding what you are doing. We don't say it's bigoted to restrict certain people from flying airplanes. Hell, you even need a licence to cut hair. But sure, we'll let anyone vote. And now we are talking about removing the electoral college.

The country has gone bananas.