Recently, I've been seeing a lot of posts on Facebook about why voting for a third party is a wasted vote. As someone who intends to vote for a third party candidate, I am taken aback by the number of people who would tell me I'm wrong for voting my conscience and exercising my right to vote for who I believe would be the best president. I understand that not everyone will agree with my decisions, but I do expect that people will respect my decisions. So, before you start telling me I'm wasting my vote and telling me my choice is going to lead to the destruction of the nation, let me explain myself. Some of you may understand my views or agree with me.

I do not think I have ever fully agreed with the views and policies of either major political party. I have taken many political identity quizzes over they years and I have found that I do not strongly agree with either major party. Many of my views tend to be fairly moderate. Furthermore, I tend to be fiscally conservative and socially liberal. I believe that minimum wage should not be raised without end, and I believe that as a nation we need to take action on climate change. I am against common core education standards and I believe in marriage equality. For a while, I thought I was alone in my views, and that there were no candidates who stood for many of the things I believe in.

At the time the candidate debates started, back when there were 17-odd Republican candidates and three Democratic candidates, I took a quiz on the "I Side With" website to see if there was any candidate I could strongly support. To my surprise, there was not a single person out of the twenty candidates that I agreed with on a majority of issues. My highest ideology match was with Marco Rubio, and I only agreed with him on about 60% of issues. That really did not help me figure out who to vote for. How am I supposed to vote for someone when I disagree with nearly half of their platform?

Fast-forward a few months, and we now know the official nominees for the major parties. Donald Trump will be the Republican party's nominee, and Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic party's nominee. While many people say they are going to vote for the lesser evil, I have decided to make the outrageous decision to not vote for either of them, and instead vote for a third party candidate. I refuse to vote for someone just because I dislike their opponent more.

I cannot vote for Donald Trump because he is racist, a bigot, and misogynistic. By now, I'm sure you've all heard his comments about Muslims, Latino immigrants, and women. He is hot-headed and reactive, which are not qualities I look for in a presidential candidate. Besides, I just do not agree with his ideologies. He believes climate change is a hoax, when there is significant scientific evidence proving otherwise. He wants to cut the EPA, which is something that this nation and this world could not afford to do. He wants to ban Muslim immigrants from entering the country due to a fear of ISIS. His own actions have destroyed small businesses, so I find it hard to believe that our country could flourish economically with him as our commander in chief.

I cannot vote for Hillary Clinton either. The circumstances surrounding her nomination and political career are shady and corrupt. Side note: For those of you wondering why you can buy a gun while under FBI investigation, have you questioned how someone can run for president while under FBI investigation? Furthermore, I cannot vote for someone who is attempting to be a feminist icon but is married to someone who has been accused of rape, and whose political career has been surrounded by scandals of sexual misconduct. There has got to be a contradiction in there somewhere. Furthermore, I do not agree with her platform. She wants to raise minimum wage, which, in an economic sense, is not wise. Minimum wage jobs are not meant to be living wage jobs, and increasing minimum wage will just lead to a never ending cycle of inflation. She wants to make public college free, and without drastically raising taxes, this just is not feasible.

So, why a third party? Well, there are two great third party candidates running for president, Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party, and Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party. Gary Johnson will be on the ballots in all fifty states this year, so if neither Trump nor Clinton suit you, consider voting for him. Johnson's views seem to align more with my own. He is fiscally conservative and socially liberal. He believes

in marriage equality, favors immigration reform, and wants to cut government spending to decrease national debt without raising taxes. Now, I do not agree with every single thing he proposes, but does anyone ever completely agree with any politician? Regardless, based on my beliefs, he is the best candidate for me to consider.

There are other benefits to voting for a third party candidate as well. Support of a third party shows a willingness to change the two party system, which (looking at this election in particular) has failed our nation's citizens. If a third party receives a 5%

vote, they will get government funds to have a better chance at competing with the major established parties. If a candidate reaches 15% in national polls, they will be on the stage for the presidential candidate debates with Trump and Clinton. Imagine what kind of shake-up that could create if Gary Johnson or Jill Stein were to poll that high.

So, I do not consider my vote for a third party candidate to be wasted. I consider it voting with my morals and in the best interest of my country. I will not vote for someone just because I hate their opponent. I will not vote for someone who does not represent my interests. I will not vote for a major candidate, just because my peers are telling me I should. Do not let people tell you your vote is wasted or wrong, whether it be for Trump, Clinton, Stein, or Johnson. It is your right to vote, and it is your right to decide how to vote.