RamrodBaguette [comrade/them, he/him] @hexbear.net

1y ago

Americans: Are you going to vote third party or refuse to vote at all?

I've been debating to myself whether or not voting for a third party candidate (Either PSL's de la Cruz or Green's West, regardless of my criticisms for both) would be the most "effective" use of my time in election season this year. The argument for "not" is that maybe voting at all is bad because it legitimizes this system, even if a third party candidate getting a record turnout would grab more attention (and piss off Blue MAGA cultists) than simply not going since it's not like abysmal turnouts, even by this country's historical standards, are newsworthy at this point. So I guess I have to ask how you people rationalize voting or not this year?

I fully understand that this is more symbolic than anything else and won't materially affect change for a while but it's still something to think about.

112 comments

- Do the vote swap, then vote third party anyway
  
  They were never going to follow through with it anyway. "vote swappers" never do.
- I remember a Redditor getting really upset with me for not voting for Biden last cycle despite not being in a swing state, because Trump might rig the elections and it would be harder to do that somehow if people voted.
  
  I guess if 2000 wasn't close in FL bush couldnt have done what he did? but also who fucking cares
- Just say to them, if you really don't want trump to win you should move to a swing state, otherwise you're basically voting for trump
- Tell them "a dem vote in a safely blue state is a bigger waste than 3rd party. If a 3rd party gets over 5% of the popular vote nationally, they start to get access to public campaign funds. At least your vote might accomplish something."
  I personally don't know if 3rd party votes do much, but as long as we're debating "wasted votes," dem in a safe blue state is the ultimate waste.
Im writing in Hillary. It's still her turn.
- Put the name on the ballot and drop it into the box slowly and nobody gets yaaas kweened
I'm writing in Bernie because it will make everyone left right and center of me mad.
Voted PSL in 2020. Will probably do so again, but might consider someone like Dr. Cornel West if they have significant momentum and aren't cringeposting the whole election. Downballot it's all write-ins for dead revolutionaries. I sure as hell am not casting a vote for Gottheimer.
Beyond shit like keeping Moms for Liberty out of the school board, this shit is pointless. Pretty much all I'm doing is punching one in for the ghost of Ho Chi Mihn out of spite.
- Delighted to learn I'm not alone in writing in dead revolutionaries!
I vote third party because it best represents my beliefs. Usually Green or whatever crank leftist party makes it on the ballot. Being in a closed primary state takes most of the fun out of election season anyway
PSL
i've given up on elecotralism
i hope they both die (of old age, calm down
)
or refuse to vote at all
if you're in this camp there might be a city council or school board election you should actually vote in.
- i'll take the one who isn't a creationist over the ones who are for the school board. that's a case where flavors of liberal actually do matter.
  99% sounds like a wild overstatement too. around here more often it's some unopposed county position.
  
  Why aren't we running for these seats?
If only the presidential election were on the ballot I would care a lot less. But my state and local elections are actually pretty important to me.
In 2020 I voted for La Riva (PSL) for president.
I'm voting for both candidates

. I even have my fake ID ready. My commitment to voting is stronger than any liberal could dream.
- no more half measures walter
Voting for my dog. If he wins, he won't commit genocide because he's a dog. That's the best option.
- You'd think that but Milei is trying to speedrun Argentine fascism with his dead dog's spirit influencing him so....
  
  Now granted my dog repeatedly threatens nuclear war, but that's against NATO and is purely defensive.
- Best of luck to the chairman this upcoming election season.
  
  I have high hopes. His own polls show him winning 120% of the vote and all of the other candidates being thrown out of windows.
I'm voting for the
Votesocialist2024.com
i've been voting third party in the general presidential slot since obozo's 2nd term run. it's hilarious. i mean, i'm already there making selections for school board seats, city council peeps, family court judges and heads of various state agencies-type shit anyway so the marginal cost of my time and effort of participation in the general prez b.s. is negligible. looking into the other races and their candidates is a far bigger hassle, even with the relatively efficient process i've cobbled together over the years.
what i like to imagine is the blue maga crowd looking at the PSL+green numbers on the day of tabulation and being incensed at all us cranks and assholes for going through all the hullabaloo and pageantry only to spike the ball and rip a wet fart on their latest disappointing savior. the humor only increases when the red vs blue horse race is tight. the nerve of wasting a vote on somebody under 100 that isn't a genocidal sex predator! and if some bozo tries to say shit about it IRL, i just shrug and tell them i'll vote for a dem presidential candidate as soon as they stop nominating the biggest horses ass in the stable. it's a low bar, but if they don't clear it they aren't trying.
I should do a mail in ballot with PSL and the local elections that matter but I won't.
- Kinda wish the PSL put in more time and effort in local level election organizing than promoting their presidential ticket.
  
  yeah go get some of those unopposed county positions and shit so people are used to seeing your party on the ballot and then eat the democrats' lunch in the state elections they pay no attention to and all but gave up against republicans for 50 years.
  
  We see elections primarily as a vehicle for driving our other organizing work and building more party members and non-member allies. The presidential election is the biggest platform by far to do that. We do run in local elections occasionally, but it's still with the same motivation as above. We don't see holding a single city council seat as doing much to win power.
  Now, I do think after this year, we'll be in a much stronger position to seriously contest many more local elections and would expect to see PSL candidates, especially in small progressive cities, winning seats more frequently.
i think the claim that voting "legitimizes" the system on a wider level is probably wrong. like, maybe when revolution was a live option, when there were insane people burning down army recruiter offices and sending bombs in the mail but now in the long dark winter of the class war, the system does not need our legitimacy. the popular mandate is not taken seriously. people at all levels engage with the political process as pure spectacle, no one believes they have real agency no matter the options they're given.
the real strength of not voting is preserving your own spirit and awareness that we can still smash the shell of the egg and be born. It's refusing to accept into yourself the poison that is faith in a god that hates you.
- You can vote without that faith. The same way you play a game at the fair even though you know it’s probably rigged. Just for the fun. And maybe you get lucky and get a big stuffed Teddy bear.
  
  I play games at the fair so that my partner (the Democratic party) knows I really do have money and I'm choosing to use it to play a game instead of giving it to them.
  Also so that I can see how popular that game really is. I think I might be breaking the bounds of this metaphors usefulness lol
I will vote PSL in my swing state or not at all.
2020 I voted for EATASS42069 so maybe they get my vote again as I still enjoy eating ass while smoking weed
- The BeepBeepLettuce party line
I'm voting Afromam. He has the best platform.
- More Sports Celebrations
Either West or the PSL candidate depending on who’s on the ballot. I never thought the “voting at all only legitimizes the system” argument was valid because it makes the false assumption that TPTB are dependent on voter turnout to legitimize the system. The turnout could be twenty percent, they’d still push a “shining beacon of democracy” message and the consent will be manufactured.
Now I know there’s zero chance a third party candidate will win, but I’ve noticed that non-voters don’t even get discussed in the narrative. They may demonize third party voters, but at least they talk about them.
My vote is purely symbolic in a solid blue state so I'm just going to vote PSL. If the only thing I'm changing is the vibes then I might as well have them be socialist ones
Lol Trump is going to win my state by like 50 points, I can vote for whatever third party I want.
U vote for joseph stalin every time
- In Soviet Russia, Stalin votes for you!
I'm voting for PSL's Claudia & Karina. I actually talked about it with someone today and they said my vote was useless. At least it's not a thank you note to Biden for the proxy war in Ukraine, bombing the Nord Stream pipeline then lying about it, the genocide in Palestine and Yemen, the continued U.S. sanctions regime, imperialism in Central & South America, and migrant concentration camps (so useful and pragmatic!).
Im not.
I'm in the PSL and plan on voting Claudia and Karina. I've yet to hear any criticism of them or their party that isn't the nitpickiest bullshit I've ever heard.
- This is my plan as well. I just hope they're on my state ballot.
I will vote 3rd party, probably for the
if they're on the ballot again in my state. Doesn't do much except as a weak act of protest. The Democrats can't guilt me into voting for Biden, considering that their neglect of the state party turned my swing state of Florida into a solid red one. That and all the chuds moving here from rural New York. If you're in a similar situation in the presidential race, vote for the person you feel best aligns with your values, knowing that it is a minor act of protest that has no real bearing on anything.
Congressional and state elections go nowhere in Florida, especially where I am. The ballot initiatives are the only important thing that voting might change. Abortion should be on it this year and I hope they can expand reproductive rights in my state.
In all honesty, I'll probably forget about it and not vote. But if I do vote, there isn't a chance in hell it'll be for Biden. PSL it is for me again
I'm writing in Xi Jinping with a massive network of criminal voter fraud aficionados, we estimate we should be able to get him enough delegates to begin the ground invasion (yes, that's how it works)
I don't think there's any harm in voting third party. Turnouts rates are already abysmal and nobody seems to care at all, they're just entirely ignored. But voting for a third party that cares a bit at least puts it in the record that some people care, and though very unlikely, might actually lead to them wielding some minor influence for good.
PSL if theyre on the ballot in my state. downballot races I might actually have some okay people on if I'm lucky
If I could vote it would be either PSL if available or not at all.
I'm living in a swing state and I'm not voting, fuck Genocide Joe
- I'm not trying to vote shame, feel free to leave the presidential ballot empty.
  But you should definitely look at local elections, referendums, and state constitutional amendments. Things on the ballot at that level, can make a very powerful difference in the daily lives of people in your community.
  Fuck genocide Joe, I don't blame you for not wanting to vote for him, but don't throw the baby out with a bath water.
  
  Already looked, no referendums or state constitutional amendments this year, and local elections are between chuds and an anti-abortion dem
I'm voting for Afroman; if he drops out, probably de la Cruz. This vote never goes to dems again afaic; I'm not voting for a segregationist bleach demon who is directly in the middle of the commission of genocide, or anyone who ever backed or uplifted him for that matter.
I'm getting riding for Bidening
If my lack of vote can destroy the US, then it's my obligation not to vote. However, if the vote of a single election cycle can destroy a country, then it has already proven itself a failure, and its destruction is an inevitable formality.
Lesser evil is still evil, reducing harm is not harm reduction, and it has always been the responsibility of politicians to earn the votes of their constituency. The DNC isn't taking the election seriously, so why should I?
https://www.afromanforpresident.com/
I'm not voting
I'm going to vote for some local Dems then find the most notable pro-Palestine presidential candidate and vote for them.
I'm in a swing state, might not be voting at all. All the local shit is chuds only in my county so it's kinda a moot point. I'm honestly scared of what Trump will do to us trans people and other minorities this time around... But Biden is a fucking demon too... Maybe a handful of things would be slightly better. I'm so sick of the bullshit lib takes on voting, wish I could just vote "death to America".
- I would probably vote for biden if i was in a swing state to protect my trans comrades. But i salute your conviction.
  
  Biden is in no way protecting our trans comrades. Ohio just passed a reactionary transphobic law, overriding a veto to ensure it would be the most anti-trans version possible (the governor vetoed the original bill to "protect sports") .. Biden is president now, wtf is he doing to stop that? He might fundraise off of it, or say he will do something if he wins, but he won't... He did the exact same thing with abortion and roe v wade. Congress isn't passing any laws on that anytime soon either
I’m going to organize the beautiful boaters to create a secessionist navy and help Texas secede and Donald trump be president of Texas after he loses and claims the election was rigged.
Then laugh at the stupidest Civil war in history.
I’m voting for Alzheimer’s. “Finish the job” but for real.
No way am I voting
I will not vote for these genocidal monsters or legitimize the system by pretending voting is real
Imma write in Chris Christie.
I don't vote because I don't want to have to deal with getting called for jury duty and having to try to get out of it, but also because it literally does not matter or change anything. I'd write in Xi Jinping just for the shits and giggles if I could.
I'm in a state where a vote for Biden wouldn't do anything. Voting for Dems locally because as t a state level, we have the dynamics Dems think are federal. State Republicans are so evil out here that voting for the lesser evil is the smart thing to do.
I will probably vote third party cause it's pretty easy to vote where I am
not voting unless I can get a mail in ballot. If i can then ill probably vote dem tbh. I don't really care, it's a waste of my time anyway. It's gonna be one of the two in any case, why not just vote for the one I'd prefer if I'm voting at all.
I'm just not voting. I don't even live in a swing state, so nobody will notice me voting for someone cool.
I'll vote third-party if there's a good local guy or referendum I care about. If I'm already going to the poll place, I may as well take the 5 seconds and write in de la Cruz.
i moved states a year into biden's term, so i didnt bother registering to vote. not gonna vote for him again, probably never gonna vote for anyone right of bernie. maybe ill do a protest vote in 2028. de la riva will probably run for the 73rd time
I thought West was independent and not green
- First he was going to run with The People's Party, which are a bunch of LaRouchites, then he was going to run as a Green, now he's running as an independent. This guy, btw, sucks ass
- complaining about SJWs
  2024 Anno Domini
  
  Shig
- Have you psyopped yourself into believing nothing? Yeah, the movement of history has placed proles in conflict with the bourgeois institutions that govern capitalist society and reflect its contradictions, be they Wall Street or the Zionist entity. How is that an atrocity? It's an atrocity that people have had enough and they're manifesting in the streets to stop the status quo from killing them?
  The wise man bowed his head and said, "There is actually zero difference between good and bad things."
- horseshoe theory
  opinion safely dismissed
  
  My horsheoe theory is that horseheoes is a fun game while having a couple beers with the gang.
- You are a deeply unserious person
  
  Oh shit, this is an actionable threat
- Lmao more like horse poo theory
- Wow, your opinions sure are terrible but I'm way more interested in your understanding of language! How do you think periods are supposed to be used? This is truly some of the most interesting sentence structure I've seen in a while.
  I see you also enjoy bare knuckle fighting and genocide denial as much as you enjoy denigrating workers and young people, and you dabble in both the use of slurs and accusing people of being "racist against white people."
  I'd love to get you into an fMRI machine for a few hours and author a case study on your brain.
- You would have voted for salazar 5th time, huh
- and here we have a banned dork
I'm going to kms in the desert and give my body back to nature. Wayyyy more humble than living life as I was taught and have known it. The life I've seen is pure evil. Maybe it would have been different if I wasn't lied to and manipulated during my adolescents all the way I to my 30s. It's as if everyone wanted me to fail from the begining.... Like I was raised and taught this. They, the people I've known my whole life, want this of me.
I need to look into de la Cruz but right now I'm planning on not voting unless West looks like he stands any remote chance. I low-key hope both Reps and Dems fuck up so bad that neither Biden or Trump get it becuase that would be hilarious but I'm not holding my breath.

112 comments