In recent years, third parties have continued to register historic lows in American voter confidence and trust. It’s no secret that voters are unhappy with the two main parties and their candidates. In the 2016 election, the Libertarian Party, Green Party, Constitution Party, and other small-party alternatives received a combined 10% of the popular vote. However, like in past elections, many voters didn’t see a point in voting for third-party candidates because they believed it was a wasted vote. That being said, is it ever a waste to vote for a third party? This article will explore why voting for a third party is typically a waste.
Why Voting For A Third Party Is A Waste?
If you are a voter, then you probably have a deep understanding of the American political system. You know that the Republican and Democratic parties are set up to ensure that the two main contenders for president will represent the same viewpoints. This is why it is not that easy to vote for a third-party candidate because they do not have enough support to win an election. However, this does not mean that you should give up on voting for a third-party candidate.
How You Can Tell If Your Vote Is Wasted?
If Your Vote is Wasted, You Won’t be on the Ballot
If your vote for a third-party candidate won’t be on the ballot, then you are wasting your vote. If your vote is not on the ballot, then your vote will not count towards electing any candidate or party. This leads to a third-party candidate being elected with a relatively small percentage of the vote.
If Your Vote is Wasted, It’s Probably Not Necessary to Vote
If you’re voting for a third-party candidate because you know that they have no chance of getting elected, then you are probably wasting your vote. The majority of voters don’t like wasting their time and energy by voting for something that won’t help them get what they want out of their votes. Therefore, it’s important to make sure that your vote will actually count towards electing anybody or anything before you cast it.
If Your Vote is Wasted, You Won’t Get What You Want from Voting
Even if an election does go in favor of a third-party candidate, this doesn’t mean that the voter’s demands will be met by the new government elected through this election as well (unless the newly elected government was formed through another election). This means that even if someone votes for a third-party candidate and it doesn’t matter because they won’t win their electoral votes or get more than 50% of their state’s popular votes, this person has still wasted their vote.
If Your Vote is Wasted, You’re Probably Voting for the Right Candidate Wrongly
If you are voting for a third-party candidate because you want to support them, but they won’t win their electoral votes and they also won’t get more than 50% of the popular vote, then you are probably voting for the wrong candidate. The majority of people do not want to waste their time and energy by voting for someone who will never be elected or have any chance of winning. Therefore, it’s important to make sure that your vote will actually count towards electing anyone or anything before you cast it.
If Your Vote is Wasted, You’re Probably Voting for the Wrong Party Wrongly
If you are voting for a third-party candidate because you believe that they should be elected instead of one of the major parties (even if it would mean wasting your vote), then this means that you are probably not voting correctly in your opinion. The majority of voters don’t want to waste their time and energy by voting for something that won’t help them get what they want out of their votes. Therefore, it’s important to make sure that your vote will actually count towards electing anybody or anything before you cast it.
If Your Vote is Wasted, It’s Probably Because You Don’t Know Enough About Your Third-Party Options
If you don’t know enough about your options in order to pick one over another, then it’s very likely that you will vote for a third-party candidate incorrectly. This means that you will be wasting your time and energy by voting for someone who won’t help you get what you want out of your votes.
If Your Vote is Wasted, It’s Probably Because You Don’t Know Enough About the Issues
If you don’t know enough about the issues to pick one over another, then it’s very likely that you will vote for a third-party candidate incorrectly. This means that you will be wasting your time and energy by voting for someone who won’t help you get what you want out of your votes.
If Your Vote is Wasted, It’s Probably Because You Don’t Like Voting at All
If you don’t like voting at all, then it’s very likely that this will affect how well and how often you vote in future elections as well (even if that person doesn’t win). This means that even if they won their electoral votes or got more than 50% of their state’s popular votes, they still wasted their vote because they didn’t like voting in the first place. Therefore, it’s important to make sure that your vote will actually count towards electing anybody or anything before you cast it.
If Your Vote is Wasted, It’s Probably Because You Don’t Know What You’re Voting For
If you don’t know what you’re voting for, then it’s very likely that your vote will be wasted. This means that even if they won their electoral votes or got more than 50% of their state’s popular votes, they still wasted their vote because they didn’t know what they were voting for in the first place. Therefore, it’s important to make sure that your vote will actually count towards electing anybody or anything before you cast it.
If Your Vote is Wasted, It’s Probably Because You Don’t Know What You’re Voting Against
If you don’t know what you’re voting against, then it’s very likely that your vote will be wasted. This means that even if they won their electoral votes or got more than 50% of their state’s popular votes, they still wasted their vote because they didn’t know what was being voted against in the first place. Therefore, it’s important to make sure that your vote will actually count towards electing anybody or anything before you cast it.
Conclusion
Voting for a third party may seem like a good idea in theory, but it’s important to understand that your vote may end up being a wasted vote. If you live in a swing state and want your vote to matter, you should probably vote for the major parties or a candidate from a large party. If you live in a non-swing state, you can cast a third-party vote without worrying that you’ll be wasting your vote. Voting is an important right, and it should not be wasted.
