Discussion Are you voting 3rd party for president in 2020

[local]

I have voted 3rd party the last three elections as I have seen both main parties as corrupt organizations beholden to the donor class, businesses and their own lust for power. My thinking was not that a 3rd party could ever win an election but that if enough people voted that way so that those numbers were greater than the margin between the two main parties then we could see some effort for them to reach out to gain those votes as a means of securing a win. I was wrong. I will absolutely not be voting 3rd party this year and will instead be doing my part to help turn TX purple.

 

[zzyzxroad]

If i lived in California i would vote Libertarian since it wouldn't matter but i am in a swing state. I am voting Trump and R down the ballot myself. Like i said in a previous post, if we had a different system where various parties had to work together to form a coalition government, then 3rd party would mean something and your vote would still count.

In theory I like some of the Libertarian ideas but when pen comes to paper I've seen little in the way of realistic plans. Jo seems like a prime example of that.

 

[Thump553]

Be honest and vote for Trump if you really are considering throwing away your vote in this manner-because that is the result you are voting for in actuality.

 

[nickqt]

I have voted 3rd party the last three elections as I have seen both main parties as corrupt organizations beholden to the donor class, businesses and their own lust for power. My thinking was not that a 3rd party could ever win an election but that if enough people voted that way so that those numbers were greater than the margin between the two main parties then we could see some effort for them to reach out to gain those votes as a means of securing a win. I was wrong. I will absolutely not be voting 3rd party this year and will instead be doing my part to help turn TX purple.

Vote for the democrats who will give you ranked choice voting. Then vote for the third party instead of voting for a punch in the face.

 

[blackangst1]

Be honest and vote for Trump if you really are considering throwing away your vote in this manner-because that is the result you are voting for in actuality.

Thats not true at all. A 3rd party vote doesnt help or hurt anyone on either side. It simply takes away a vote from both.

 

[eelw]

Thats not true at all. A 3rd party vote doesnt help or hurt anyone on wither side. It simply takes away a vote from both.

Hello 2016 calling. But with stupid EC, 3rd party in select states enough to turn an election

 

[blackangst1]

Hello 2016 calling. But with stupid EC, 3rd party in select states enough to turn an election

Sorry that's just not how it works.

 

[eelw]

Sorry that's just not how it works.

Oh really? 77,000 votes. There were 200,000 independent votes cast in those 3 states

 

[purbeast0]

I've already voted and it was for Biden. Dropped it off the ballot box on Thursday. So did my wife and I dropped hers off.

 

[blackangst1]

Oh really? 77,000 votes. There were 200,000 independent votes cast in those 3 states

Again. A third party vote is not a vote for anyone but the candidate voted for. It takes a vote away from the gop and the dem equally.

 

[Blackjack200]

I voted 3rd party. Green Party, Howie Hawkins. I wasn’t going to vote at all but someone reminded me that legal weed was on the ballot in NJ, so I took an extra moment to fill in the bubbles for the green candidates as well.

I haven’t followed the race too closely for the last few months, but I did see Kamala Harris’s fracking comments at the VP debate, it was a nice reminder of why I didn’t vote for her.

 

[Majes]

I'll be voting third party. It's the only way that I can speak out against the uncontrollable spending that both parties currently support. I also think that it's far too easy to manipulate people in this two party system... I have friends and family who literally cannot have a discussion that deviates from the party talking points.

I also have friends and family who don't realize you can vote for someone who isn't Biden or Trump. These people aren't educated enough to be voting at all in my opinion...

 

[zzyzxroad]

I voted 3rd party. Green Party, Howie Hawkins. I wasn’t going to vote at all but someone reminded me that legal weed was on the ballot in NJ, so I took an extra moment to fill in the bubbles for the green candidates as well.

I haven’t followed the race too closely for the last few months, but I did see Kamala Harris’s fracking comments at the VP debate, it was a nice reminder of why I didn’t vote for her.

I know nothing about Hawkins. I just checked his site out and a lot of info there(unlike Jo) and will have to look over it when I have time. Apart from Nader speeches I I don't know much about the green party.

 

[zzyzxroad]

I'll be voting third party. It's the only way that I can speak out against the uncontrollable spending that both parties currently support. I also think that it's far too easy to manipulate people in this two party system... I have friends and family who literally cannot have a discussion that deviates from the party talking points.

I also have friends and family who don't realize you can vote for someone who isn't Biden or Trump. These people aren't educated enough to be voting at all in my opinion...

Do you mind sharing who you plan on voting for ?

 

[Majes]

Do you mind sharing who you plan on voting for ?

I'll vote for Jorgensen.

 

[gothuevos]

Will be writing in.

 

[alexruiz]

I am curious.
To those of you planning to vote third party, if we had been stuck only between trump and Biden, who would you have chosen in that hypothetical scenario?

 

[gothuevos]

I am curious.
To those of you planning to vote third party, if we had been stuck only between trump and Biden, who would you have chosen in that hypothetical scenario?

Personally, would potentially choose to stay home.

 

[zzyzxroad]

I'll vote for Jorgensen.

From what I can tell about her she would be like trump and have no actual plan for anything. To each their own.

 

[JD50]

A third party vote is a coward's way out, shirking any sort of responsibility.

 

[blackangst1]

A third party vote is a coward's way out, shirking any sort of responsibility.

That is absolutely FALSE. It is our responsibility to vote who we think is the best candidate, not one who necessarily has the best chance of winning.

 

[nOOky]

I'm all about the third party vote, except this year. It's not a normal election. What did Bette Midler say, "If you're still an undecided voter with less than 40 days left to go, I'd like to congratulate you for still being alive, honestly. I'm not sure how you didn't starve to death standing in your pantry trying to decide between eating Raisin Bran or rat poison. ".

I see no other choice but to vote Biden or Trump, but I see 4 more years of Trump as horribly damaging to the country. Sometimes we have to make choices in life that aren't easy, but voting for a 3rd party this year imho is stupid.

 

[fskimospy]

That is absolutely FALSE. It is our responsibility to vote who we think is the best candidate, not one who necessarily has the best chance of winning.

No, it’s your responsibility to vote in a way that you think will best serve the interests of the country. (Or at least will best serve your interests)

You surely have some sort of idea as to whether or not the country would be better off with Biden or Trump for the next four years.

If people really believe that third party candidates would be better they should be working to implement ranked choice voting or things like that. Voting for them in presidential elections is a waste of time and effort.

 

[JD50]

That is absolutely FALSE. It is our responsibility to vote who we think is the best candidate, not one who necessarily has the best chance of winning.

No, there are exactly 2 people who have a chance at being president. You either pick the one that you think would be better or you basically sit out the election. "Don't blame me I didn't vote for either of them" is generally the tag line for 3rd party voters.

Maybe one day we'll get rid of the electoral college and move to something like rank choice voting, then your 3rd party vote won't be a throwaway. I'd imagine a 3rd party voter like yourself really hates the electoral college, as it makes your vote meaningless.

Edit - LOL fskimospy beat me to it

 

[blackangst1]

No, it’s your responsibility to vote in a way that you think will best serve the interests of the country. (Or at least will best serve your interests)

You surely have some sort of idea as to whether or not the country would be better off with Biden or Trump for the next four years.

If people really believe that third party candidates would be better they should be working to implement ranked choice voting or things like that. Voting for them in presidential elections is a waste of time and effort.

Correct. I agree.