No, that's not the idea of the electoral college. Here's the idea:
Back in the day when this was conceived, rural farmer Jim Q. Hatfield in southern Georgia didn't know who many of the candidates were, especially those from, say, Boston. But he did know who two of Georgia's electors were, John Smith and Frank McCoy, because they lived nearby. He liked John Smith, but didn't trust that McCoy fellow, who was a dirty cur and a northern sympathizer. So Jim Hatfield would cast his vote for John Smith with the knowledge that John Smith would then vote for a presidential candidate that represented his interests.
The electoral college has nothing to do with populated areas v. rural areas. It's an outdated system based on the premise that most people don't have enough information about candidates on the national level. This has clearly run its course.