Myths About Big Cities

The Tyler Texas Morning Telegraph claims that the National Popular Vote (NPV) would focus political efforts in big cities, neglecting rural areas.
This argument stems from misconceptions about the size and influence of cities and how presidential campaigns operate in popular vote systems.

Top 10 cities in the U.S. (Census Data): New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, San Jose.
- These cities comprise only 8% of the U.S. population.
The 50 largest cities (including Arlington, TX as the 50th with 365,000 people) account for 15% of the U.S. population.
The biggest 100 cities include one-sixth of the U.S. population, which voted 63% Democratic in 2004.
Meanwhile, rural areas (those living outside Metropolitan Statistical Areas) voted 60% Republican.

Major cities and rural areas are balanced in terms of population size and political alignments.
Two-thirds of the U.S. population reside in suburban areas, split evenly politically.
The claim that presidential candidates would ignore rural areas is unfounded, as presidential campaigns in a popular vote system would necessitate attention to all regions to secure votes.

The current system of electoral votes in battleground states (Ohio, Florida, Virginia, Iowa) demonstrates that candidates already target key voters regardless of urban or rural location, since every vote within these states counts equally.

Ohio received over 25% of the total campaign events and spending in 2012.
Largest metropolitan areas: Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo.
- These areas make up 54% of the state's population.
- Received 52% of Ohio's campaign events, nearly matching their population.
The remaining metro areas (medium-sized cities) represent 23.6% of the population and received 23.3% of campaign events.
Rural counties, representing 22% of Ohio's population, received 25% of campaign events.
Evidence shows candidates campaign across all demographics and regions equally, ensuring no area is neglected.

Election Trends (2012):
- Big metropolitan areas: 54% Democratic.
- Medium-sized metro areas: 52% Democratic.
- Rural areas: 58% Republican.
Key battleground states receive concentrated campaign efforts, reflecting similar distribution patterns as seen in Ohio.

The Tyler Texas Morning Telegraph's assertion highlights a flaw in the winner-take-all system, which indeed diminishes rural state influence as they do not play a major role in battleground elections.
Among the 10 most rural states, none are battlegrounds, with New Hampshire and Iowa as exceptions among the top 20.

The claim that a national popular vote would shift focus to big cities at the expense of rural areas is incorrect.
In reality, the national popular vote would ensure that every voter in every state is equally relevant in presidential elections.
For more information, visit NationalPopularVote.com or read the book "Every Vote Equal: A State-Based Plan for Electing the President" available for free or purchase on Amazon.