There’s a Lot More to Your Ballot than You Might Think

Public funding for a minor party is a valuable end in itself. Minor parties require 5% of the vote in the previous election to qualify for funds. They get more funds the closer they get to 25%.

If someone holds non-traditional political views and lacks the funds to contribute meaningfully, voting for a third-party can be a valuable way of doing so.

Alternatively, simply expressing support for a third-party candidate can, in certain circumstances, allow them to qualify for general election debates. Regardless of how you vote, simply expressing that preference to your friends makes it more likely someone who answers a poll will express that preference, and thus more likely your candidate will make it into the debates.

It’s highly unlikely a third-party candidate could win the election, but it would be incredibly influential on our politics if one were to come in second. Especially in an election where the two major party candidates are historically unpopular, there is immense political consequence if a third-party can make the debates and use that platform to score second place.

Third-party candidates having an influence on the political process are black swan events. Jesse Ventura getting just enough support to break into the debates in Minnesota which allowed him to reach second in the polls which allowed him to be taken seriously which allowed him to win.

Especially in a race where it looks highly unlikely that the Republican is likely to win, there is massive utility for individuals who weakly support a candidate in second place — but strongly support a third-place candidate — to express a preference for the third-place candidate.

It’s hard to know if a third place candidate will reach a level high enough to be considered a meaningful alternate, but it happens every couple of years in congressional races.

Finally, there are simply states that are demographically uncontestable. It’s perfectly safe to vote for a third-party candidate in California simply because — absent a wave election which would shift every swing state — California will always go Democrat.

So in this particular race, if you’re planning to vote for Donald Trump, or if you’re planning to vote for Hillary Clinton and you live in California or the District of Columbia, there is no downside to voting for a third-party and significant upside for doing so.

If Jill Stein clears 5% the Green party gets matching funds in 2020. Looking at what Bernie Sanders was able to do with online fundraising that’s not insignificant. It’s an open question if Gary Johnson will make the debates. So it’s massively consequential to tell people you’re voting for Gary Johnson at this point. You can always change your mind the day before the election based on whether or not he actually does so.

So if you want to introduce a little anarchy into the political process tell people you’re voting for Gary Johnson. If you want the Green Party’s ideas to get more funding and you live in California or Vermont, vote for Stein.

Unless you’re willing to do more research, vote downballot for the major party whose policy views most align with your own. There are very few credible third-party candidates for Congress this cycle and public funding is not affected by voting for them. There are a number of contested congressional districts and contested Senate seats.

All of which is to say that if you’re reading an article online about voting behavior, do your damn homework. Ask a Political Science major (we’re friendly people!) to talk about the larger consequences of voting for a certain major party or minor party candidate.

Learn about the ballot measures most people usually ignore but which have significant consequences on state policy.

And most significantly, call up your local candidates and ask them why they should get your vote. Your state representatives, your city council, your mayor, your water board and your school board members all play a far more meaningful role in policymaking that directly affects your life then any major national politician will.

More significantly, those local races are the most likely to be won and lost by a handful of votes. I have a friend who lost his city council race by six votes. There are a number of local races every election decided by an actual coin flip because they come out as a literal tie.

These races may seem inconsequential but they can shift the balance of power on a city council and result in a massively different direction. They can mean lots of new development in your downtown or higher sales or property taxes to pay for better schools or new city services like free public wi-fi.

They can mean a different version of history taught to your kids or the ability for transgendered people to be protected against being fired.

You can, quite easily, change the outcome of these races by getting a handful of friends together to vote one particular way. You can make it a near certainty by making phone calls and knocking on doors for one of those candidates.

Almost every voter has a competitive local race. Something on your ballot is going to be very close. You can know which race to focus on by talking to (Hi again!) a local political science major. It might not be as sexy as talking about the presidential race but it will be inarguably more impactful.

So if you’re thinking this hard about who to vote for — if you care this much — get involved where it counts.

Google the name of your county. There will likely be an elections website that allows you to see what’s on your individual ballot. If not, call the county elections office or your local city clerk and they will be able to help you figure it out.

(In fact, call your local city clerk anyway. They don’t often hear from residents, and they will be more than excited to tell you about the wonderful local opportunities to serve on city commissions or even run for local public office yourself.)

Local civic engagement matters. And even if it’s less sexy, it’s almost certainly more pleasant to focus on than choosing between the lesser of two evils (if that’s how you feel about the two major party candidates).

So don’t just hate-read Medium articles. Don’t just rant on Facebook about the lack of any good options.

Don’t boo, vote.

(And if you don’t want to get locally involved yourself, Tom Sawyer your friends into doing so by recommending or sharing this article. Somebody you know will be chomping at the bit to help out where it actually matters.)