Davi Leal:
Election fever has firmly grasped our country yet again, and one simply cannot escape the veritable torrent of campaign ads. We constantly receive reminders of the sacred civic duty to make our voices heard and cast a vote, but with a caveat: a vote not cast for one of the established two parties equates to a vote thrown away.
I vehemently disagree with this principle. Regardless of whether or not your candidate wins, your vote makes a difference—if 10% of voters choose a third-party in any given election cycle, the two top dogs will take notice and adjust their platforms.
More importantly, consider this: by dismissing all third-party candidates because of their unpopularity, you perpetuate that unpopularity. Who knows? Perhaps a silent majority agrees with your alternative point of view, and you’d never know it, the lot of you bemoaning the two-party system as you keep it on life support. If you believe that either the Democratic or Republican best represents your vision for the future, then vote accordingly.
I do not seek to discourage anyone from voting for the candidate that they prefer. That said, if your conscience calls you to turn in your ballot for another candidate, I challenge you to do so. Dare to create the change that you want to see in this world, to take action that others may decry as worthless… only thus can progress bloom.
Gabe Elkinson:
The United States Constitution gives all citizens the fundamental right to vote. That right should not be wasted on a third party candidate for the 2024 election. The numbers alone should be enough to convince you: in the 2020 election, Biden’s 49.47% took Georgia over Trump’s 49.24% by only .23%. However, Jorgensen, a third party libertarian, received 1.24%. That is over five times the difference.
With Trump running again, we have all reason to suspect this presidential election will be exceedingly close. According to ABC news, as of Aug. 22, Trump leads Georgia by .8%. However, since Biden stepped down, this number continues to shrink. In such a critical election, every single vote can make a difference. A third party or write-in vote is not a protest of the candidates, but a rejection of the right to vote itself. Regardless of whether you feel at total agreement with either candidate, Harris and Trump are the only viable options to win the 2024 presidential election. You should decide what is most important to you, and vote for who you want to be president. Voting for a third party is an unpatriotic disgrace to your constitutional rights.
