Republican turnout in California, the most populous U.S. state, was exceptionally low in 2016 as this state had no major contested race.<ref>"[http://www.nationalreview.com/article/442141/donald-trump-election-dont-blame-electoral-college Why We Have an Electoral College].", ''National Review''</ref> Without California, Trump would have carried the national popular vote by 58.4 million votes to 57.1 million votes.<ref name="NationalPopular" /><ref name="VoteTracker"/><ref name=Calpop>"[http://heavy.com/news/2016/11/popular-vote-results-2016-clinton-trump-2012-2008-vs-electoral-college-california-uncounted-ballots-new-york-update-totals-final/ Popular Vote 2016: How California Drove Hillary Clinton’s Lead]"</ref> The results in the states with the most representative voting populations, or swing states, provide another way to estimate what a national popular vote might have looked like. In the thirteen swing states, Trump received a total of 22.2 million votes compared to 21.4 million for Clinton.<ref name="NationalPopular" /><ref name="VoteTracker"/> Both of these metrics correspond to a two point edge for Trump in the popular vote. | Republican turnout in California, the most populous U.S. state, was exceptionally low in 2016 as this state had no major contested race.<ref>"[http://www.nationalreview.com/article/442141/donald-trump-election-dont-blame-electoral-college Why We Have an Electoral College].", ''National Review''</ref> Without California, Trump would have carried the national popular vote by 58.4 million votes to 57.1 million votes.<ref name="NationalPopular" /><ref name="VoteTracker"/><ref name=Calpop>"[http://heavy.com/news/2016/11/popular-vote-results-2016-clinton-trump-2012-2008-vs-electoral-college-california-uncounted-ballots-new-york-update-totals-final/ Popular Vote 2016: How California Drove Hillary Clinton’s Lead]"</ref> The results in the states with the most representative voting populations, or swing states, provide another way to estimate what a national popular vote might have looked like. In the thirteen swing states, Trump received a total of 22.2 million votes compared to 21.4 million for Clinton.<ref name="NationalPopular" /><ref name="VoteTracker"/> Both of these metrics correspond to a two point edge for Trump in the popular vote. |