What would your reaction be if I told you that you have alternative voting options in the upcoming presidential election besides Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton? Most people I tell give me a look that’s a mix of confusion and shock and say, “Really?! What do you mean?” What I’m aiming to do here is share some information about the two other candidates in the general election: Jill Stein, the representative from the Green Party, which is more resemblant of the Democratic party, and Gary Johnson, the candidate of the Libertarian Party, which tend to lean farther to the right side of the political spectrum.

Jill Stein is a Harvard-educated doctor who is running in the 2016 election with the backing of the Green Party. Despite having no political experience other than being elected to town meeting two times in Lexington, Massachusetts, she has won several awards, written two highly well-received scientific reports, and has many accomplishments to her name.

Stein has several key points to her platform, which she calls her Power to the People plan. She feels strongly about the idea of a “Green New Deal,” which involves running on completely renewable energy by 2030.

Another plan that Jill Stein frequently mentions in speeches she gives (whether or not they get picked up by mainstream media, which is a different story) is her desire to have students be completely free of debt and eliminate tuition costs from college, which I know is what may appeal to my audience here! The other aspect that is a large part of a person’s knowledge of Jill Stein, if any at all, is her agreement with Senator Bernie Sander’s desire to raise the minimum wage to $15, which studies show would be an accurate living wage in this era.

Jill Stein’s website has a far larger amount of information than what I have presented to you, including a more detailed biography, every plank in her platform, and ways to get involved with volunteering for her campaign if you feel so inclined! You can find news articles about Jill and her race for the presidency. There’s also a full list of events that Stein will be speaking at.

The Libertarian Party is being represented in the presidential election by Governor Gary Johnson. Johnson is no stranger to the political environment, as he is a two-term elected Republican governor in a state that tends to be more Democratic.

Governor Johnson has several issues he is very vocal about. One of these is that representatives should have term limits just as the President does. Another idea of Gary Johnson’s is that legalizing marijuana will eliminate crime. Johnson is also a large advocate of an individual’s personal freedoms.

One personal observation I had made after visiting both candidate’s websites is that Jill Stein’s is more easily accessible and hers does not have a large portion of the home page designated for contributions; Gary Johnson’s website had several pages I had to visit before I could find the information that I wanted, and in the middle of the home page is a large spot to access the secure donation site.

Now, as a writer, I am not going to share my personal preference, but I wanted to show you all that there are other options out there for you to make an educated vote. I hope I could help!

All information about Jill Stein and her platform was taken from her website, linked in the article.

All information about Gary Johnson and his platform was taken from his website, linked in the article.