With possibly one of the most politically divisive elections looming around the corner, discussions about third-party voting have popped up in civic discourse. I have heard so many people, especially people my age and their parents, saying that they would be voting for a third-party candidate this year. They do not agree with Trump or Biden, so they believe that this is the best option. I completely disagree with this idea.

First, no third-party candidate has ever won an election. In fact, third-party candidates are known to split the vote between the two main parties. In 2016, if the votes for Jill Stein, a progressive Green Party candidate, in Michigan and Wisconsin were for Hillary Clinton instead, Clinton would have won the electoral votes in these states. If the votes in Pennsylvania for Gary Johnson, a socially progressive Libertarian candidate, had been for Clinton, she also would have won Pennsylvania. These outcomes would have put her at more electoral votes than Trump, and she would have won the election.

Based on the 2016 presidential election numbers, it appears that the popularity of third-party candidates is increasing. In my opinion, it has nothing to do with the candidates themselves. The increase in the number of votes for the Green Party and Libertarian Party came from a dislike of the main party candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

I spoke to my dad about this issue because I really wanted an older person’s opinion on the subject. He agreed that a vote for a third-party candidate is a wasted vote, but he went further with his reasoning than I expected. He believes that it is a self-fulfilling prophecy because as long as people believe that it is impossible for a third-party candidate to win, it will be true. The only way that a viable third-party candidate could be successful is if they broke off from a main party.

I am not at all opposed to having a third-party candidate. I am tired of feeling like we have to “settle” between two certain candidates every election. It is frustrating to not agree with or even like either of the options. We have been forced into a situation where, yet again, we are having to vote for the lesser of two evils. Why do we keep nominating people we don’t even like? 

North Carolina could be the state that determines the results of this next election. It will be an extremely close race here. The polls continue to switch who is projected to win. NC State students, and all other college-age students, need to make it a priority to get out and vote. Increased voter turnout by people our age could play a massive role in the selection of our next president. 

This election will be one of the most important elections of our lifetime. It is critical that you all research the two main party candidates and best choose who identifies with your values. Even though neither candidate is wonderful, you must decide who you best align with. A vote for third-party is a vote thrown in the trash.