I wish I could vote for a third party candidate without ‘throwing my vote away’

So why can’t I truly voice my opinion in this race without feeling like I’ve wasted it?

This is the first year I can vote, and as a relatively politically active person, I was pretty excited about that.

The presidential election, however, has shown me that my excitement was unfounded. I’m not happy with either Trump or Hillary. With Bernie out of the race, I don’t know who to vote for.

Trump is, bluntly, a racist bigot. He will divide America and cause nothing but tension between dozens of groups in America, racial, religious and otherwise. He lacks class, and has made disparaging remarks toward women, disabled persons, Hispanics and more. He has no political experience and has made bogus policy suggestions.

America does not need a wall. Building a wall will serve only to create a facade, literally and figuratively, of keeping people out of America. That is not what makes America great.

What makes this country great is that anyone from anywhere in the world can travel here, create a life for themselves here, and call themselves a proud American. America is the melting pot of the world – we welcome people here with open arms, because we believe that hard work should be rewarded, no matter who you are.

As a half Chinese person, I truly believe that diversity makes America great.

Hillary, at least, has the political experience and policy chops that a president needs. As a Democrat, I want to vote for her. I agree with her on LGBTQ rights and amending the college debt crisis, and I trust her foreign policy expertise.

As a Bernie supporter, however, I can’t vote for her without feeling like I’m selling out. She’s made concessions and created what everyone is calling the most progressive platform Democrats have ever seen, but I don’t believe she’s going to truly push for it.

Not to mention, the email scandal raises questions about her character. I wonder if incriminating evidence actually exists and is being hidden until after the election.

That leaves me with the third party choices: Jill Stein of the Green Party and Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party.

Admittedly, I’m not very familiar with either of their platforms. I’ve done some minor research to get a look into things, and as a Bernie supporter, I agree the most with Jill Stein. She’s passionate about her cause, and she understands the plight of the common person. She’s pushing for renewable energy, free public universities, better health care, an increased minimum wage and many other very progressive changes. She advocates for what I believe in.

Unfortunately, though, I can’t vote for her without feeling like I’ve made a poor decision. I know that voting for her is one less vote for Hillary and one vote closer to a Trump presidency.

Why, though? Why can’t I just vote for Stein and feel good about it? Why must I vote either Republican or Democrat in order for my vote to truly have power in the Presidential race?

Washington warned us of the dangers of forming political parties. Having only two main ones exacerbates the issue of parties even more. They cause even more division in the nation, as we become defined by either Republican or Democrat. Parties have issues within themselves because they must attempt to find middle ground between far too many differing opinions. In short, a two party system doesn’t work.

We need a multiparty system. At a time like this, when both main candidates are so controversial and disliked, the existence of third parties is extremely important. It’s a reminder to those disillusioned by both candidates that there are other options out there, that we can cast our votes for someone we believe in.

But can we really? Without a true multiparty system, a vote for anyone but Trump or Clinton seems wasteful. I see posts all the time saying that voting for Stein or Johnson is a waste of a vote. In a way, they’re right.

The media doesn’t cover third party candidates, nor do these candidates have the funds that the Democratic and Republican ones do, so their popularity is already far lower. They’re unlikely to garner the votes needed to win. If anything, they can pull votes away from a candidate to ensure the win of the other.

That’s not how politics should work, though. I should be able to vote for who I truly believe in. I should be able to vote for someone that I believe is going to take what I care about to the White House.

Trump is not the leader America needs. He is a racist bigot who will only exacerbate current issues in America. Clinton will not take my thoughts and concerns to the White House though. No matter her experience, she is not a candidate that I can fully put myself behind. But a vote for Jill Stein or Gary Johnson is not a winning vote. In an election where the Democratic and Republican candidates are neck and neck, I can’t afford to vote for a third party candidate if it could ensure the win of the worse evil.

I wonder, though: If Clinton were to lose because of third party votes, would that call enough attention to this issue? Would Trump really mess the presidency up so much that America would begin to consider a multiparty system? Or will it continue this way because we’re too lazy to change something that’s needed to be changed for decades?