Is Voting for a Third Party a Waste of your Vote? (In-Depth Political Story)

By: Tracey A. Casseus

With Election Day rapidly approaching the question on everyone’s mind is who will be the next president of the United States of America, Republican Senator John McCain or Democratic Senator Barack Obama?

But aren't we forgetting a few names? What about former Congressman Bob Barr, pastor and radio talk show host Chuck Baldwin, Congresswomen Cynthia McKinney, or Ralph Nader. Contrary to public belief McCain and Obama are not the only people competing in the U.S presidential election of 2008.

With the media blitz covering the presidential election mainstream media fervently covers Senators Obama and McCain campaign in “swing” states. Across the country, and even the world, people have paid close attention to the three presidential debates between the two nominees, and one for their vice presidential running mates. It's impossible to go anywhere and not see or hear names like Obama, McCain, or Palin. So how is that names like Nader, Barr, and McKinney are seldom mentioned?

“I don’t even know who is the third party for this election,” said Ithaca College Senior Collin McDermott. “It would be fair to have a third party actually competing. Being covered in the news media and having equal power and access like the other two major parties but it would be difficult because its just American culture to have a two party system. It either the democrat or the republican.”

Is it the media subtle way of letting us know that these people just don’t matter?

“Voting for a third party candidate is a waste because people only pay attention to the two top candidates,” said Abdul-Wahab.

What happened to the saying that, “Every vote counts!” The media bombards us with messages that it is our civic duty and the greatest opportunity we will ever have as average citizens to shape the government.

Presidents are decided by two systems: the popular vote and the Electoral College vote. Whichever candidate wins the majority of votes in a given state wins the electoral votes of that state. To win the office a candidate must win 207 electoral votes.

Vice Presidential canidate, Rosa Clemente, of the Green Party had this to say about voting. "Voting is the easiest thing someone could do to be civically engaged. I don't think voting solves anything but for the most part voting puts in people that as a people you have to take accountabilyt for pushing your issue out there."

Clemente also had this to say, "If they vote for the Green party, every vote counts. You need five percent of the electorate to become a major party."

Honestly speaking, to vote for a politician unaffiliated with either major party, in most cases, means voting for someone has no realistic chance at winning office. When this is the reality it is easy to believe that a vote for someone other than a Republican or a Democrat is a “wasted vote.”

“It’s not fair but that’s what it is,” said Ithaca College sophomore Farida Abdul-Wahab. “ It’s a race and in a race you’re not looking for who crosses third your looking for those two who may come in first place.”