I know, it probably seems obvious to most Americans that when you enter a voting booth, you vote for one of two candidates: either the Democrat or the Republican. Easy, right? But apparently, voting for somebody nobody expects to win is considered a waste of a vote. At least from the time I spent filling in blanks on my AP Gov quizzes, I know that entire point of democracy is that we get to choose who represents our values. But now it seems that we have rationally come to the conclusion that choosing someone we actually believe in is far less important than correctly predicting who will win and then voting for that same person.
This is the case in every election cycle. Americans are told the same thing over and over again. We hear that this election is too important to vote for a third party. Or that a vote for an independent candidate is just a vote for the Republican. Or, depending on who you're listening to, it's a vote for the Democrat. Somehow, voting for one person has morphed into voting for all three. And if you ask me, that does actually seems like a pretty efficient system.
Of course, there is a valid argument behind this thinking. In the United States, we operate on what's called a winner-take-all system, meaning the candidate with the most votes wins the election, which is probably why the elections in states like the UK and Israel seem like complete gibberish. Because of this, third-party candidates face enormous obstacles that make their chances of getting elected borderline impossible. And many times, voting for somebody with little chance of winning may indirectly help the major-party candidate you least want to win. Without a doubt, that is a legitimate concern that people raise about third party voters, and people going to cast their ballot shouldn't pretend otherwise. But one thing is certain. There is a categorical difference between understanding the consequences of your vote and believing you are morally obligated to support someone you don't believe in just because they have a chance at winning.
I'm not eighteen yet, and as somebody born in January, I've just watched another election pass in which people only a few months older than me, some of whom frankly don't even care, could help decide the future of our country. Meanwhile, I was left to offer political commentary, that a good 99% of the time wasn't asked for. Admittedly, something I would have done regardless.
But through my inability to vote, I've learned something that too many eligible voters take for granted. No matter the election, the right to vote isn't just the right to choose between two candidates. It's the right to choose for ourselves.
If you believe that the Democratic candidate is the best person for the job, vote for them. If you genuinely believe that the Republican is, vote for them instead. But if you've researched both candidates and enter the voting booth knowing that neither aligns with your beliefs, why should you be obligated to vote for either one?
We don't owe political parties our votes simply because they've made themselves the only two viable options. Their job is to earn our support, not demand it. Sometimes, a voter may decide that preventing a certain candidate from winning is more important than choosing one who aligns with their values. That's a perfectly reasonable perspective. It's what we call strategic voting, and it's a valid choice. The problem begins when we treat it as the only one we are allowed to make.
Democracy doesn't promise that the candidate you're rooting for will win. In fact, for a nice portion of the country in any election, it ends up being rather disappointing. But the value of casting your ballot goes beyond whose name ends up giving the victory speech. Your vote can be an expression of support or a rejection of the available choices. More importantly, it can tell the major parties that they have failed to represent a certain group of Americans. Even when that third-party candidate loses, the votes they receive sends the message that political dissatisfaction is something major parties would be foolish to ignore.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not arguing that everyone should vote for a third party. After all, a Democrat or a Republican may very well align with the values you hold dearest. And, there is a large chance I end up voting for one. Nor am I arguing that election outcomes don't matter, because of course they do, enormously. But the decision of how to vote and consider the options in front of you belongs to you and no one else. Especially not your friend who suddenly becomes an expert in politics every November (which I take no shame in being).
Until my birthday, I am locked out of having the chance to cast a ballot, and while I can learn about the candidates and debate their policies, at the end of the day I can't participate in the part that ultimately ends up counting. So to those who can vote, please go ahead and vote. Take advantage of the American right that generations before you fought so hard to instill, and exercise it thoughtfully. Research your choices, and vote for somebody you believe truly deserves your vote. Whether that person is a Democrat, a Republican, or somebody with about the same chances of winning as me voting before January, your candidate doesn't have to win for your vote to mean something. The point of democracy isn't that everyone chooses the winner. It's that everyone gets to choose.
This article represents the views of its author, not necessarily those of The Current or NSU University School.