**(Preface: I would like to ask that this thread *not *turn into castigating people who vote third party. We see that in numerous other threads, where people are told, “A vote for third party is a vote for Trump,” or similar other such attacks. This is a thread for discussing third party voters and their options, not for attacking them.)
**
I know we have a few third-party Dopers here; the other polling thread indicated that 6-7% of Dopers plan to vote third party this upcoming November (which is a higher third-party percentage than the actual American electorate itself.)
In 2016, I voted for Evan McMullin as a write-in candidate (he wasn’t able to get on the ballot in Texas). I would have gone Libertarian this time around, in 2020, but the pandemic has demonstrated the failure of libertarian ideology and its uselessness in a crisis like this. So I may go Green Party or just write in some other individual as candidate this time around again.
So - if you’re voting third party, which are you going for, and why?
I am voting for Amash because he’s half the age of the other two candidates and he has integrity. Out of every elected republican in Congress, he is the only one who had the decency to leave the party. Anyone with an R by their names is complicit in the damage being done on a daily basis to this country, and I will never vote for anyone who would proudly carry the Republican label.
If Amash doesn’t get the libertarian nomination, I will probably still vote for whoever gets it. Trump’s election intensified my dormant libertarian sentiments. We spent decades bloating up the federal government and strengthening the executive branch above the other two, and now we have to deal with a lunatic con man in charge of it all who has almost limitless control. This was a mistake.
I only have the luxery of voting my conscience because I’m in a safe blue state. I will be checking 538 every day before the election, and if Biden ever falls below 90% certainty to win I will vote for him.
I believe the Libertarian Party is already on track to appear on the ballot in all 50 states. Whether Amash will be the nominee is still an open question, as he entered the primary race late. But it’s probably a safe bet, as I can’t imagine them not picking the first Libertarian member of Congress in US history as their standard bearer.
Green party has the platform I’m most aligned with so I’ll be going that way. Be nice if Jesse Ventura clinches the top spot, that would throw a lovely monkey wrench into the duopoly gears.
I haven’t decided yet, but possibly Libertarian like last time. If they get 5% of the votes, they don’t have to do the petition/signature thing to get on the ballot every election.
OTOH, my state might be more in play than last time, so possibly my vote will “count” more.