Voting your conscience or playing it safe in 2024?

By Jordan Huber

We are officially less than two weeks away from election day. Hopefully, all of you have been thinking about a plan to get out and vote or return your mail-in ballot. Even with the bait and switch of President Biden for Vice President Harris, there remain legitimate questions on who you should support on Nov. 5. To be abundantly clear, this is not a Trump vs. Harris debate. The question is: should I vote for VP Harris, or should I be supporting Green Party Candidate Jill Stein, or one of the many other names I see on the ballot?

Everyone is just going to vote for either Trump or Harris anyway right? 

Surprisingly, only 53% of voters between the ages of 18-29 are registered Democrat or Republican. Voters are moving away from being linked to establishment parties, so the door is open for outsider candidates to take more away from Trump or Harris. 

Does it even matter if I vote for a third-party candidate? 

In California, no. If you vote in a swing state, it is possible. Georgia came down to 12,000 votes. Arizona had a 10,000 vote difference. The difference can come down to a few select voters in these states. The Democratic National Committee thinks it matters. They have begun releasing attack ads on Jill Stein. 

Is it moral to vote for Harris?

Harris’ tenure as VP has seen a rise in domestic oil production and a lack of definitive action in the Middle East. It is absolutely worth criticizing her over. Activists need to be willing to push the establishment when the establishment is failing. Politicians need to be earning people’s votes and not just relying on their party affiliation to carry them to victory.

Is Jill Stein the right candidate?

I caution everyone from jumping right into the arms of like Jill Stein though. She is 74. She did not know how many people are in the House of Representatives (it is 435 by the way). It is valid to question if she is a serious candidate in this race. She has turned herself into the Pro-Palestine candidate. I do not know if this is genuine myself, or if she is just pandering to get votes from disgruntled leftists.

What do I recommend?

In non-swing states, I do not see an issue with supporting a third-party candidate. I think it is more valuable to vote for outsider candidates in local elections rather than national elections, but I will not push back on it. Swing state voters. I urge you to be cautious. Every poll is screaming that this race will be closer than any other in our lifetime. Every swing state is not only within the margin of error, but many are within a single point. I know political polls are not trusted like they used to. I can tell you from every polling report I have subjected myself to that this race is impossible to fully predict at this point. Voters need to make a choice. Are Trump and Kamala’s policies really so similar that you cannot fill in the box next to her name? Almost three-quarters of third-party voters were white in 2016. They have less to lose in these races than historically marginalized groups. Is the moral high ground worth the risk?

Disclaimer: Jordan Huber is an election worker. The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Humboldt County Office of Elections.

Jordan is a senior political science major and the president of the Politics Club. With a keen interest in current affairs and a passion for informed debate, Jordan brings a well-rounded perspective to their opinion column. Through their studies and leadership, Jordan is dedicated to exploring the complexities of political issues and fostering meaningful discussion.