Third parties are great, but historically speaking- in over 200 years of elections--they have done little to nothing to actively participate in the political process and/ or presidency. I'm not saying that they aren't valuable, or that they don't have a dedicated, loyal following; third parties are arguably less corrupt and more "for the people" than the dominant Republicans and Democrats. Let's face it- in a "go for the gold" mentality dominated by a two-party system, a vote for third party candidates is a plea for bronze and a sure-fire way to elect a dominant candidate.

Let's be real- our country would rather have a two-party system trump a third party candidate and actively pumps life-preserving ideals of democracy into its two dominant parties, leaving very little room for third parties to stand, let alone achieve much of anything.

While it's true our Founding Fathers were against factions, especially two-party factions, we not only should but need to nationally recognize that the two party system is very real, very present and very alive in the United States of America.

Our nation has a "past-the-first-post" system of voting, leaving very little room for third parties to ever gain a strong enough following to legislatively garner votes. Many Americans are lured into voting for a third party candidate simply because they believe it is the lesser of the two evils of Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump. However, if you vote for a third party candidate, you are selling yourself to the fact that either Clinton or Trump will be elected.

If there's anything we can agree on, it's this: Your vote matters, and your vote will help determine who becomes the next President of the United States. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em-- Don't waste it on a third party candidate, but actively use it to participate fully in the political process.