Why Third Party Votes Aren't Wasted

By Rachel Pasholk on November 16, 2016

In the weeks that have followed the 2016 presidential election, there has been much finger pointing and opinions voiced on who is to blame for the results. A common target that I have heard is the third party voters. They are often blamed because their votes were seen as being wasted, and some even argue that they helped to secure the election for President-Elect Trump.

This is not the case, for many factors play into the results of an election. Now I am not going to get too into politics over who is right and wrong, or even whether someone is to blame for the results. The record needs to be set straight, and it is important that everyone knows a third party vote is not wasted, but in fact shows someone taking a huge stand in politics.

Image from: http://jagahost.proboards.com/thread/18850/third-party-united-states

For those who may not know, a third party is a party found in the United States that is not the Republicans or Democrats. These are much smaller parties that often align closer with the larger two, but tend to advocate more for causes, and not self-promotion.

Since the United States functions as a two party system, these other parties are often ignored, or seen as being a wasted vote, since there has never been a presidential election won by a third party (though it is argued Abraham Lincoln was in one when he won).

Many have argued that a vote for a third party is a waste because it is known when the vote is cast that the candidate is not going to have a chance to win. While it is nice to say you voted for the winner, it is more important to vote your conscience, and pay attention to the things that are actually said by the candidates, across the board. It also is often said it is wasted because it could have gone to the larger party candidate with which the third party aligns with, which is another reason why they are blamed when upset elections happen.

Those who choose to vote third party are not wasting their vote any more than someone who votes for one of the big two parties. This is because it is a sign of support, not only for the candidate, but for the ideals in which they stand for. It also gives an alternative to choosing between “the lesser of two evils” which is important because they create more votes. Third party votes matter because they show that people are not happy with the way the system is run, and truly believe their candidate is going to help America become a better place to live.

So next time, before you start to blame third parties or say votes for them are wasted, think again. The votes carry more weight than they appear to on the surface.

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