Does it really work to vote for a candidate and then “hold their feet to the fire” to make them do what we really want and need? Or is that a fantasy? Too often we describe politicians as “disappointing” when they do not follow through on their campaign promises, despite public pressure to do so. Even worse, candidates now don’t even bother to make specific campaign promises; instead they run on a simple platform of “Vote for me, I’m better than they are!”
After an election, who can effectively hold politicians’ feet to the fire? The answer is, those who fund their campaigns. Those who fund you, run you. AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee), corporations, billionaires, and other lobbying groups can and will hold politicians’ feet to the fire after the election.
The very real power that voters can exercise is their vote. At election time, you can “hold their feet to the fire!” with your VOTE.
Unless you feel stuck
…..because you’re in a “swing state”,
……….there is NO NEED to “hold your nose”,
……………there is NO NEED to “vote for the lesser of two evils.”
Due to the Electoral College, you do not need to vote for candidates — whether Harris or Trump — whose actions have not demonstrated that they are for peace-healthcare-housing-education-and-justice-for-all. YOU HAVE THE FREEDOM to vote for what you want. For example, in California millions of people can vote for the Green Party ticket of Jill Stein and Butch Ware. More detail about the Electoral College is below in the section, “How the Electoral College Impacts Your Voting Choices.”
While the Democratic and Republican Parties and their candidates take billions of dollars from AIPAC, corporations and billionaires, the Green Party takes no corporate money, That is why Green candidates and elected officials remain committed to people, planet, and peace.
RECOMMENDATION TO CONSIDER
If you have no need to be afraid,
…..DO vote, and
……….DO vote for what you WANT in the world.
……………You will also be casting a strong vote against what you DO NOT WANT.
VOTE FOR JILL STEIN and BUTCH WARE.
IF YOU WANT the US to
- stop promoting war, and
- start promoting peace, and
- ensure that people have
healthcare,
housing,
education,
real justice,
real democracy, and
a livable planet.
Thank you.
The following section is based on the highly respected Green Voter Guide, produced by the Green Party of Alameda County. Find the voter card and complete guide at this link, https://acgreens.wordpress.com/voter-guides/
How the Electoral College Impacts Your Voting Choices
Unlike all of the other races on the ballot, the offices of president and vice-president are not determined by the total popular vote, but rather by the Electoral College that was enshrined in the U.S. Constitution back in 1789. Therefore, regardless of whether candidates win a particular state by just one vote or by ten million votes, they still receive exactly the same number of electoral votes from that state. Because of this “winner-take-all formula,” a “third-party candidate” who receives a small percentage of the vote in states which are “solidly blue” or “solidly red” simply has no effect whatsoever in how those electoral votes are awarded.
To be specific, California is a “deep blue state.” In the last presidential election, Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in California by 29 percentage points (63% to 34%) and in 2016, Hillary Clinton beat Trump by 30 percentage points (62% to 32%), with Green Party candidate Jill Stein receiving only three percent of the vote. Therefore, if Jill Stein this year is able to have an amazingly strong campaign, she might be able to double that to six percent and Kamala Harris would still be able to win California by over 20 percentage points — and probably closer to 25 points.
The Electoral College, along with the fact that duopoly presidential campaigns now spend billions of dollars on advertising, means that it is completely safe here in California to vote for Green Party candidates who are free of corporate money. Voting Green will not help [Trump] at all. But if you have concerns, it is easy to monitor the California presidential polls. You will see that Harris will overwhelmingly sweep the state.
Vote Trading and Ranked-Choice Voting
Have you heard of vote trading? Some people in swing states want to vote their values without depriving the less evil candidate of their vote. Save their cake and eat it, too? Yes! If there is someone they trust in a non-swing state, they may arrange to trade votes. So a Green in a swing state might agree to vote Harris/Walz for a trusted friend who is a Democrat in California if the Democrat promises to vote Stein/Ware.
Is this legal? Again yes! The practice of vote-swapping has been tested in court ever since it became very prominent and controversial in 2000. In 2007, it was held to be legal by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. As the U.S. Supreme Court has not considered the issue, the Ninth Circuit’s ruling stands in California, and is a strong precedent in the rest of the country.
Conclusion
Voting Green in Presidential elections helps the Green Party retain our hard-won ballot access and helps us qualify for federal matching funds. The hurdles are so arduous that no other progressive party is likely to ever attain ballot access in enough states to matter, so please do all you can to strengthen the Green Party.
To help enact democracy in the U.S. and eliminate rampant confusion about the “spoiler effect,” an erroneous accusation which could eventually become more than mudslinging as the Green Party grows, we need Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in more cities and states, and eventually nationwide. RCV started in San Francisco in 2004. RCV is currently in place in Oakland, Berkeley, Albany, and San Leandro. With RCV, more voters feel free to vote for the candidate they prefer. RCV eliminates pressure to vote for the lesser evil for fear of helping the greater evil. Meanwhile, we know Harris/Walz will take California by a landslide, so no Californian has to worry about voting our values. (Also, your voting outside the two political parties could help move the US toward Proportional Representation, which is already used by more than 90 countries in the world.)
If you are progressive — whether you voted for Stein, Williamson, “uncommitted”, or another candidate this past March, or even if you skipped this year’s primary election — you will want to vote Green in November! Actually, vote early in October! Double check your registration now, in California, and around the country.