Nov 9, 2014 2 min read

For the purposes of this narrative, I am using the election held every two years to fill the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

People wonder why voter turnout is low in midterm elections and one need only see that no matter the percentage of voter turnout, for one side or the other, the partisan makeup of the representatives does not change.

With redistricting that comes into being after each census, district lines are drawn not to produce equal numbers of voters per district; rather, they are drawn for the advantage of one party.

Just look to our last two federal elections. A very closely run race in 2012 had the Republicans take down 49.6 percent of the total vote in Pennsylvania to gain 13 seats in the House.

The Democrats took 49.3 percent of the total vote, but won only five seats in the House.

In last Tuesday’s election, Republicans took 54.8 percent of the total votes while the Democrats had only 44.4 percent. Funny thing about it is the Republicans kept the same 13 seats and the Democrats retained their five seats.

There was no difference in the outcome.

People realize we don’t vote on a level playing field, and with all the negative commercials on the airwaves, voters become disgusted with the whole process. No matter what a candidate does, he is at the mercy of the map.

I used to think the people decided who would serve in office, but in reality it is the majority of the elected officials who decide which person’s vote counts and which person’s vote does not.

Robert Zanakis

Canonsburg