my dad says by supporting a third party, i'm wasting my vote. am i?

Question

i'm Libratarian. my dad says i'm wasting my vote by supporting a 3rd party. i say i'm standing up for what i believe in. who's right? should i settle for one of the two main parties?

Answer 1

no a vote for your candidate is not a waste. that is the argument used by fools on other fools to prevent real change in America. don't be a fool vote your way.

Answer 2

Like most people have said, there is more than one way to look at it.

The main problem with using a vote for a third party is the electoral college. Each state is allocated a certain amount of electoral votes based on its population. In order for a third party candidate to win any votes in the electoral college, they would have to carry a majority in that state which is fairly unlikely.

The second way of looking at it is that you can vote for a third party and show your support, but also effect the overall election because your vote could have gone one of the main candidates. This is obvious in close races when the third party candidate has more in common with one of the main party candidates.

Either way there is no such thing as a wasted vote. Hopefully one day our government will trust us enough to eliminate the electoral college, and actually let the people vote through a more democratic form - the popular vote. This removes power from the larger states, and makes every vote matter regardless of where you live!

Answer 3

What do you think is the probability that your vote will be the deciding vote in any particular election? Try to imagine a scenario in which the outcome of the election hinges on whether or not (or for whom) you vote. For this to happen, the ballot count would need to be either absolutely tied (in which case your vote becomes the tie breaker) or off by only one (in which case, by voting, you cause a tie where otherwise there would have been a winner). Elections like this are extremely rare. Thus, the probability of your vote making a difference in any particular election is slim to nonexistent in the first place.

Based on this, one could argue (correctly, I think) that any vote is a wasted vote. If your vote does not determine the winner, what good is it? However, there's more to voting than picking a winner. You can use your vote to express your opinion. And if your vote is used this way, then the only way it could be wasted is if you vote for something you don't want.

Answer 4

You are not wasting your vote any more than those who every four years compromise and vote for the Demlicans or Republicrats. The fundamentalist turn the right wing of the Republican Party may make the Dems seem necessary to stave off the theocratic state. If you ever take "stock" of where corporate donors put their money during elections you will discover that many corporations donate to both sides. This alone should open our eyes to what I think is a 1.5 party system. We would all be better off with broader debate and a multitude of parties.

Answer 5

It depends on what you mean by wasting your vote. While it's true that in any election held now, voting for a third party is bound to be futile (i.e. that person just isn't going to win), I think it's an investment in future elections. If more and more people would start voting for a third party, sooner or later a third party actually could have a chance and we could break out of this screwy two party system we're stuck with now. So I say....go for the third party if neither of the two primary parties do it for you.

Answer 6

Well you could be considered as wasting a vote, because realistically no third party is going to be elected in the near future. So if i were you id pick the lesser of two evils. You can support your beliefs in ways other than supporting a party, so if you want to help go out and do something.

Answer 7

In the 2000 election about 8,000 people living in Florida voted for Ralph Nader's Green Party. The Green Party platform is more at odds against the Republican platform than the Democrat platform. So, if it were true that there were only two real choices, most of those who voted for the Green Party would have realistically voted Democrat.

If only a quarter of those Green Party voters would have been swayed by your father's argument in the Democrats favor, it would have meant that Gore would have won Florida and the Presidency by a slim, but certain margin. In fact, many people are quite bitter towards Ralph Nader for "handing Bush the election".

So there you have it. Vote your conscience, and Republicans and Democrats will ignore your political concerns at their own peril.

Answer 8

No - you are not wasting your vote.

I am not satisfied by Rep or Dem - both are terrible - and I don't accept that we only get 2 choices. It's ridiculous that we tolerate this.

DO NOT SETTLE.

The younger the generation has more information available and are becoming more educated and savvy. Do what you believe because you are right. The older generations are indoctrinated - already used to having their power curtailed. Don't let it happen to you.

You have two powers in society: vote and how you spend your money. If you don't like the choices then don't vote. Why do you think they spent so much money hyping the vote - to indoctrinate people into this current flawed system. What would they do if only 1000 people voted in the Pres elections in 2008? They would wonder who was in charge...and then what would they do when they realized no one is...

Answer 9

Yes and no.

Realistically, 3rd parties steal votes for the major candidates. This was a huge argument during the Bush campaign. That Kerry would've won if Nader along with other left-leaning parties weren't there so that people who voted for them, would've voted for Kerry.

Though, you should always vote your heart. The American dream is that the underdog wins and if you give up then why should anyone else fight for their beliefs? Might as well just conform to parties that don't have YOUR ideas and beliefs in their best interest.

Answer 10

Well since third party hasn't gained enough support yet to win an election, if you vote third party, you can be assured that your candidate won't win. In that case, voting third party is the same as not voting. However, support for third party candidates is increasing, and in 10 or 15 years we might see a third party president.

Answer 11

Well it depends from a political standpoint you could say no because-in today's society a third party candidate doesn't have a chance, plus it's not like your vote will be counted anyway only republicans votes were counted in the last election, and then they made up statistics. From a moral standpoint you can say you voted for what you believed in so yes.
So, in conclusion what do you care about more, which candidate is in office or sticking to your convictions.