65% of U.S. adults say the way the president is elected should be changed so that the winner of the popular vote nationwide wins the presidency.

  • Johanno
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    251 year ago

    I don’t know how the american system works, but voting for small parties should not considered a wasted vote. It helps the party even if they don’t get elected

    • @[email protected]
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      561 year ago

      It’s worse than wasted. It’s effectively a half-vote for the major candidate you like the least.

    • @[email protected]
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      231 year ago

      If a party receives 5% of the popular vote, they start to receive funding from the FEC. That hasn’t happened in a while for a third party.

      • Johanno
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        51 year ago

        Well then people should organize. I don’t understand why americans only vote for two parties if they don’t like either of them

        • @[email protected]
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          291 year ago

          First past the post incentiveses two party systems, which is why people are desperate for ranked ballot, or something that can allow other parties to exist.

        • Final Remix
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          231 year ago

          Because in first past the post voting, whomever gets the score first, wins. Combine that with mostly voting against a specific party, and you’re railroading people into a de facto two-party system when people vote for the “best bet against _____”.

          • @[email protected]
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            81 year ago

            Part of that is due to the feeling that one’s vote doesn’t matter. IMO having the president be elected by popular vote would bring a lot more people to the polls.

      • @[email protected]
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        1 year ago

        But even if a party gets, say, 5% of the vote and gets funding, that level of vote splitting can influence who gets a seat now. That might be fine and dandy when the short term doesn’t matter too much, but right now, the stakes are very high in the US, since the right straight up wants to dismantle democracy, kill trans people, and completely ban abortions.

        Those are high stakes just to likely get some more funding for a third party (much less win even a single seat).

        IMO any political pressure that could go towards pushing third parties should first to towards electoral reform. Only then can third parties be voted for without putting a lot of people at risk.