It seems that in this election more than most, that our options for our new POTUS are slim. People often find themselves lamenting the illusion of choice, stating that the decision between our two presumed candidates, Donald Trump, and Hillary Clinton, is a different choice to make. Often times, people find themselves in this trap of indecision when it comes to two-party politics.

Our founding fathers once warned the public about the dangers of the two-party system. In the spirit of their warnings, and in lieu of the obvious choices for this year's presidential election, maybe this year is the year that we bring in a third party candidate to be our president because there are many more options for our president than most people believe.

Gary Johnson-Libertarian Party

"We need to make America sane again."

Gary Johnson, the former Governor of New Mexico, is running with former Governor Bill Weld of Massachusetts. Gary is the perfect candidate for anybody who believes in the social policies of the democratic party, along with the economic policies of the republican party. Johnson believes in limiting government regulation of the economy and focusing the federal government's actions on maintaining the freedoms and safety of Americans. He believes that the government shouldn't have a hand in the regulation of marriage or in the woman's right to choose whether or not to undergo an abortion. He believes in personal freedom without government intervention, modifying the immigration system to fit the needs of immigrants who seek documentation, enacting term limits on elected government officials, ending wasteful spending, and ending the war on drugs.

Not to mention, Johnson has climbed the highest peak on each of the seven continents (and, no, that has nothing to do with his political platform, but it is pretty bad-ass).

Jill Stein-Green Party

"We can build a better future together."

Although not the confirmed candidate for the Green Party, Stein is the presumptive candidate for her party. Stein's platform focuses heavily on environmental protection and conservation and plans to start the process of bringing America to 100% renewable energy by the year 2030. She supports the growth of sustainable agriculture, ending destructive energy extraction, and protecting our public lands and their biological diversity.

Other than her strong views on environmental policy, she holds many strong beliefs. Stein also supports ending the war on drugs and protecting personal freedoms. She is an advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights, pro-choice, and supporting law-abiding immigrants and their attempts at documentation. She also believes that jobs, health care, and education are rights, not privileges.

Jill Stein is a Harvard graduate, attending the school for both her undergraduate education and for medical school. (Regardless of whether or not you agree with her platform, you must admit: the woman is smart).

Darrell Castle-Constitution Party

"Preserve, protect, defend the Constitution."

Darrell Castle is running with Scott Bradley for the presidency in 2016. Castle's platform is heavily based on adherence to the laws stated explicitly in the Constitution. As such, his platform places importance on an unrestricted practice of the second amendment, a pro-life stance on abortion, withdrawing from the United Nations to maintain national sovereignty, and ending the federal reserve.

Other issues, however, are not explicitly outlined in his campaign. The Constitution Party, however, believes in repealing the 16th and 17th amendment (income tax and popular voting of senators, respectively). The party also believes that any state has the right to leave the union. The Constitution party opposes pornography, same-sex marriage, eminent domain, and illegal immigration, and say they want stricter controls on legal immigration as well.

So remember, America, if you don't find solace in either main presidential candidate, they are not your only options. The power of democracy lies in the people. If enough individuals become knowledgeable about our third-party options, then 2016 may be the year that we find ourselves with a third-party president!

Just remember, it is important to vote if you want to make a change!