No, I’m not here to tell you that every third party vote is equivalent to throwing away your vote. In fact, kudos to those who have stuck by their third party candidates since day one because it must be difficult to gain access to information about candidates that are not Democrats or Republicans – not to mention how others may even patronize you for being in a third party. However, for this presidential election, I think a serious reconsideration of political opinion needs to be made when voting.
Education, healthcare, women’s rights, racial tensions, international perceptions and many other issues are on the line this upcoming election, and we cannot afford further division.
Clinton and Trump are the only possible realistic winners of this election because no third party candidate gained enough recognition earlier on. Your morals and values are being tested this election, and there is no denying it. Nonetheless, pride must be put aside, and we must vote for what we believe is the lesser of two evils. It is reckless to tell others to vote for a third party candidate with election day being less than two weeks away because it confuses people, especially those who remain unsure, and it creates further division of the electoral votes we need to decide on a president. Moreover, it is immature to say that you are voting for a third party because it’s a “moral reflection” or a “message of dissent” because the only thing you’re doing is throwing a tantrum because you don’t like Clinton or Trump as people or politicians – but that’s not what this election is about.
This election isn’t about “liking” a candidate. This election is about making a choice based on ethics and who would be the best possible person to represent our voices and our country to the rest of the world. I’m not saying it’s easy, but what I am saying is don’t think your vote won’t make a difference or that telling others how to vote doesn’t matter because it does. We aren’t kids anymore and being a millennial means being part of the largest generation that can make an impact, which means we have to be decisive for this election. Additionally, we are in Florida, which is also one of the worst swing states according to past elections, so our votes count much more than many of us think it will.
Our right to vote for who we believe in is a privilege we cannot afford to act on for an election that has so much on the line. I have full respect for those who have stuck by their third party candidates and have done the research needed to make a responsible vote, but those of you deciding to hop on a third party bandwagon last minute without even doing research and telling everyone you know to follow in pursuit is not okay. Voting on a “moral high ground,” and switching to third party last minute is just trying to get a free pass of having voted without the responsibility of actually making a decision.
You should by all means stay in your third parties, and as an Independent, I encourage everyone to vote based on their values and not party affiliations, but this election must be a choice of reason, not an emotional choice.
Photo credit: