Not fired up about Trump or Harris? Why Mississippians should consider voting third party -

“It is better to vote for what you want and not get it than to vote for what you don’t want and get it!”

– Eugene V. Debs.

If you’re excited to vote for either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris this year, much of this article may not be for you. However, if you’re one of the many Mississippians who’s tired of holding your nose and voting for “the lesser of two evils”, maybe it’s time to consider voting third party. Also, check out the information about the possibility of voting at your convenience ahead of election day.

Polls consistently show that a strong majority of Americans want a viable third-party option, believing that neither major party adequately represents them. This year, Mississippians who are not satisfied with either Harris or Trump have two luxuries that voters in many other states do not have. Firstly, we have several third-party candidates on our ballots this year to choose from. Secondly, living in a solidly red state means that we can afford to vote our conscience, rather than feeling pressured to pick between the two major parties.

The case for voting third party

You may ask, “If there’s no chance a third-party candidate will win, then what is the point? Am I not just throwing away my vote?”. Quite the contrary. In a sense, for any voter who lives in a solidly red or solidly blue state, the only way to “throw away” your vote is to cast a futile vote for the other major party. In the electoral college, Mississippi is a winner-take-all state. In other words, since Donald Trump is likely to win our state handily, all six of our electoral votes will go to him, even if Harris were to garner a sizable minority of the vote. A vote for Harris in Mississippi ultimately counts the same as if you had voted for Trump.

On the other hand, if you vote for a third party, your vote instead counts nationally, regardless of what state you are in. What do I mean by this? If any third-party candidate receives 5% of the vote nationwide, that party would be eligible for government funding in future elections. This will make it easier for the party to get ballot access and to run more down-ballot candidates.

I won’t kid you by claiming any of these candidates have a chance of winning, or even that it’s a sure thing that any third-party will meet the 5% threshold this year. However, the first step towards building a viable third party is for independent voters to break free of the duopoly voting mindset. If more of us had done so 30 years ago, we’d very likely have more than two viable choices by now. Given the state of the two parties we have now, we can’t wait another 30 years.

The frontrunners of the longshots

There aren’t many reliable nationwide polls to indicate which of the third parties will perform best this year. In previous elections, third parties have also outperformed their polling, possibly because pollsters don’t have a good way of reaching third-party voters.

Earlier this year, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., was unquestionably the frontrunner among the third-party candidates. Back in August, he dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump. However, Kennedy’s name remains on ballots in several states, including Mississippi. Since RFK suspended his campaign, it’s not clear if he would be eligible for government funding if he broke 5%. It may be immaterial at this point since other third-party contenders have gained momentum and overtaken him.

Going by the number of articles written and the name recognition of each candidate, Jill Stein of the Green Party seems to have the most momentum behind her of all the third-party candidates. The Green Party is a progressive left party whose policy priorities include universal health care, social justice, labor rights, and environmental protection. The party is also anti-war. Stein owes much of her support this year to voters who are dissatisfied with Harris’s and Trump’s unconditional support for Israel’s year-long bombardment of Gaza, which is quickly spiraling into a wider regional war. Stein, a Jewish-American, has long been a vocal advocate for Palestinian liberation.

If the Greens are not your cup of tea, you may consider voting for Chase Oliver, the Libertarian candidate. The Libertarian platform supports the free market, deregulation, small government, as well as individual rights and freedoms. The Libertarians are also traditionally opposed to foreign military adventurism, and favor paring back out-of-control US military spending.

There are also several other candidates on Mississippi’s ballot this year. However, these candidates are on fewer ballots nationwide, making it less likely they could break 5%. Check the links below for information on these other third-party candidates.

Voting at your convenience is still available for many registered voters

It’s a little difficult to ferret out this information, because it is not called “early voting,” but many currently registered Mississippi voters can still vote an in-person absentee ballot at their county’s Circuit Clerk’s Office until Saturday November 2. Voters must already be registered and have an acceptable photo ID. This includes any registered voter over the age of 65. Other criteria can qualify registered voters of any age. Check this link for further details on eligibility for in person absentee voting, acceptable proof of ID and the voting procedure at the Clerk’s office.

The Union County Circuit Clerk’s office is in the Courthouse and will be open Monday – Friday from 8:00am until 5:00pm and on Saturday November 2 from 8:00 am until noon. Remember, you must be currently registered, meet criteria, and have an acceptable ID. If unsure, you can verify your current registration and eligibility for in-person absentee voting by calling the Clerk’s office at (662)-534-1910 before going there.

The Union County Circuit Clerk’s office reports record-breaking in-person absentee voting this year. Our experience was that the procedure is quick and simple. Just don’t wait much longer if you want to do it.