All this fuss about so-called “battleground states.” To make any sense of this, let’s see what “battleground states” means to you. In reality, it means that only the seven “battleground states” have any real meaning in the election. Members of both parties are catering to these seven states at the expense of the other 43, plus territories and Washington, D.C., while ignoring all but the seven.

That means that the vast majority of citizens’ votes really don’t matter. Therefore, why should they work for anyone but residents of the “holy seven”?

There is a way to fix this problem; a problem that, once solved, will again give the majority of United States citizens the representation they deserve. Let’s assume (and it is no stretch to do so) that battleground states have become a factor due to the havoc caused by the Electoral College. The Electoral College negates the votes of individual citizens by allowing someone to be put in office by a minority of citizens. This can be seen in more than a couple elections. And we are poised to possibly do it again.

So, whoever wins in the next election, it should be our priority to see that voting goes to electing officeholders with every citizen’s vote counting, not just those from seven states.

Peter P. Sirois

Madison