Are you voting third-party?

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, two of the most controversial figures in today’s politics, are very close to clenching their respective party’s nomination.

Every other candidate in the Republican race has dropped out, and Hillary Clinton has a delegate lead over Bernie Sanders larger than Barack Obama ever had over her in 2008, making it unlikely Sanders could become the Democratic nominee (although there are a substantial amount of states left to cast their ballot, and super delegates can change their mind at any point before the convention in July).

Since both have historically unfavorable ratings, there is talk that this could be the year a third-party will rise to prominence. Third-party candidates have never won the presidency, and seldom win any major political office, with some exceptions being Bernie Sanders, Bill Walker (Governor of Alaska), and Angus King (junior Senator of Maine). Third-party candidates are usually accused of “taking away” votes from major party candidates, such as Ralph Nader was accused of in 2000. However, this will not stop Americans from voting third-party.

But will students be choosing a third-party candidate this election season? We asked students from different ends of the political spectrum their thoughts:

Kara Irvine

If Bernie becomes the Democratic nominee, I’m planning on voting for him because he’s the most honest candidate with the best background, who hasn’t flip flopped in his political views throughout the years. If it does end up coming down between Trump and Hillary, I do plan on voting for [a third-party], because to me there really is no other option. Trump and Hillary are both corrupt, and over the past 10 years have both been very inconsistent with their views. I’m not sure yet [which third-party candidate I’d vote for], [I’ll] figure that out [if and when] Hillary [becomes the nominee].

Casey Skinner

I originally wanted Kasich, [but now] I don’t think it’s smart to vote third-party because if Republicans vote third-party they are helping Hillary, and if Democrats vote third-party they’re helping Trump. I will vote Trump just because I’m a Republican and I think this election is one where you should stick by your party. I really dislike Hillary and it’s definitely an election to vote for the lesser of two evils. I think Trump would be better for the country than Hillary.

Patrick Crawford

I [had] high hopes for Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, but as the months went on it became clear to me that [he] was very unlikely to get the nomination and would again be pushed to the side like his father had been. So I decided to re-examine my options. Considering I find both Trump and Clinton as equally contemptible, I now plan on voting for the Libertarian Party candidate. While they haven’t officially selected anyone for the nomination just yet, it looks like it will be former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson.

There are two main reasons why I’m supporting Johnson: the first is that I share many of his opinions on the political issues facing America today. The second reason I support Johnson is because it has become increasingly clear to me that there is a problem with American politics and how elections are run in this country. What’s clear is that America is ripe for change, with outsiders making huge gains this primary season. Trump’s successes in the GOP and the strides made by Bernie in the Democratic primaries show that people are fed up with how things are being run; they want change. Governor Gary Johnson doesn’t need to win the presidency to make a difference, he just needs to show America that there is another option for those who are sick of the divisive partisanship and tyranny of the Democrat and Republican elites.

Nancy Haugh

I’ll be voting blue no matter who, but I’d prefer to vote for Bernie. I’m voting for [the Democratic nominee] because their views on human rights most closely align with mine. In all honesty, I feel like I’d be wasting my vote if I went for a third-party. I don’t feel as though third parties have been institutionalized enough in our society for them to be successful in this election.

Jordan Henderson

I don’t plan on voting third party. The only reason I would consider voting third party was if Bernie Sanders decided to run as a third party. With that being said, I would have to think long and hard about voting for him over Hillary. I’m not a Hillary supporter but a divided Democratic Party hands Donald Trump the presidency which is something I don’t take lightly.

Mikaela Reinard

I will be voting third party in this election. I’m currently gravitating towards Gary Johnson. I’m a self-proclaimed Libertarian and strongly believe in the ideals of the party. This is the first election that I’m able to vote in, and while third-party votes are usually considered “throw away” votes, I think that this is the election where smaller parties have the chance to make an impact. Third parties might not be in the position where we can win just yet, but given the probable outcome of the major party nominees, I think people will definitely be looking at third-party candidates as more than just “throw away” votes. I liked Rand Paul, mainly because of his Libertarian ideals. I think Libertarianism is the perfect meeting point for the two parties that creates a happy medium for a majority of people in the US. We can’t all have what we want, but the beliefs of the Libertarian Party hold the best promise for compromise between 300+ million people.

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It should be noted that since 40 percent of Republicans in a poll said they would not vote for Trump, as well as the fact 25 percent of Bernie supporters claimed they wouldn’t vote for Hillary, there will be a fascinating turn of events for the major parties and it will be interesting to see if these statistics result in poll surges for third-party candidates.

Voice your opinion: