At first glance you might think that only two candidates will be sharing the ballet this November. However, you might be shocked to know that two other prominent figures will be available for you to cast your vote for. Third party candidates often prove to be little more than an blip on the radar for most of us. But for those tired of the two party monopoly, they are seen by some as their only hope. For any of you interested in voting for a Green party or Libertarian candidate this year here are some things you might hear; your vote won't matter or that your are just helping the other party. If you happen to be someone who votes third-party this year, you might want some ideas on what to say to these people who dislike how you are thinking about voting.
Anyone who says that by voting third party is pointless because there is no hope of them winning is partially true. The odds of Gary Johnson or Jill Stein winning the White House is slim to none. But, that is not to say those votes are pointless. When someone says your vote is pointless or that it wont matter because it does not fall into the norm, they are misunderstanding the word pointless. The point of voting is not always winning. Sometimes the point of voting is sending a message. Many people believe that Gary Johnson or Jill Stein can win the White House, they are sadly mistaken. But, by voting for one of those candidates, as millions will, they are sending a message that the two-party system is outdated. The two-party system essentially tries to divide the whole country down in one of two camps. Either you are pro-choice and gun-hating, or you are pro-family and for lower taxes. Obviously there are areas where you can fall on either sides of the line. Voting for a party that best represents your ideals is the boldest thing you can do in politics. Casting your vote knowing that your candidate won't win, but not cowering down to the pressure of the two mega-parties is noble. A vote for the conciseness and not for the strategy is the farthest thing from a wasted vote.
This is my favorite reason someone might give, you are helping (candidate they don't like) win! A Trump supporter from Colorado might tell his Libertarian neighbor that voting Johnson would actually be a vote for Hillary. That same Libertarian might be told at work by his liberal friend that his vote would just help Trump. The only logical conclusion is that his vote simultaneously helps all three candidates! Of course, this is not true. My answer to people who attempt to pressure someone into voting red or blue because it will keep their candidate from loosing is this; have your party pick a stronger candidate. Seriously, if the Republicans had picked someone the people felt was stronger, a vote for Johnson wouldn't matter because that Republican would have it in the bag. If the Democrats had picked someone stronger than Hillary, maybe they wouldn't be so worried that they are loosing millennials (a group they should win hands down). The reason more and more Americans are turning to third-party options is because the two-party candidates aren't strong enough! Reagan ran against two opponents in 1980, Jimmy Carter and John B. Anderson. Anderson got five times as many votes in 1980 than Gary Johnson in 2012! It's not the fact that there is another candidate in the race that will drop your support, its that your candidates are too weak!
Voting third-party is not about trying to ruin an election, or about protesting two unpopular candidates. People vote third-party because those candidates stand for what we do. If you fall neatly into one of the two that's great, but some people don't fall into either side of the spectrum. In fact, most registered voters now identify as independent. The most important thing about voting is not that you vote for who your state leans towards, or popular whim, but that you vote for who you think would be the best leader of the free world.
