I started a Third Party. Here's Why You Shouldn't Vote for One in 2024

Hello, this week I wrote about voting third-party for the 2024 presidential election in an op-ed for Newsweek.

I started a Third Party. Here's Why You Shouldn't Vote for One in 2024

I started a third party. And I don't think you should vote for one in the presidential race this November.

How can those two things be true? Let me explain.

Back in 2016, after Trump's victory, I became deeply concerned that our economy was evolving in ways that would kick more and more Americans to the curb. I believed Trump won because we had automated away millions of manufacturing jobs in the Midwest. This would get much worse when Artificial Intelligence arrived and eliminated many other jobs. We were going through the greatest economic transition in the history of the world and were not meaningfully responding. I ran for President in 2020 as a Democrat to make the case for Universal Basic Income and a human-centered economy. We participated in seven presidential primary debates and raised money from over 400,000 grassroots donors, mainstreaming UBI and leading to cash relief being piloted in communities around the country.

But after my campaign ended, I felt despondent about the direction of American politics. Problems were going to get worse, not better. Congress had a 17 percent approval rate and a 94 percent re-election rate.

I concluded that the two-party system is not going to solve our problems, including poverty, so I started what would become the Forward Party in 2021 to reform the way we vote and provide more choices for Independents.

At the time, people were convinced they knew why I had started a third party: "Oh, Andrew Yang wants to run for President." Then and now, people were asking me to run just about every day. And of course, I want to make positive change with good policy. But I'm a MATH guy, and in 2021, I believed that if I were to run for president, I'd be more likely to do harm than good. I was convinced Donald Trump would be the Republican nominee, and because my supporters lean young, I thought that if I were on the ballot in 2024, I'd increase the chances of Donald Trump winning, which is the opposite of what I wanted.

You want the world to be a certain way. But you also have to be mindful of the practical impact here and now of your actions. We're adults and this election is going to matter.

That's why the Forward Party is endorsing over 100 school board, state representative, City Council, and congressional candidates around the country. You can see them here.

But we are not running a presidential candidate.

That strikes us as the smart, savvy, and responsible approach. My co-chairs now include Christine Todd Whitman, the two-term governor of New Jersey and Kerry Healey, former Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, both of whom came to the need for reform from their time in office. Dozens of elected officials in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Colorado and around the country have affiliated with Forward. A party will not be built on any one person or during any one cycle; you need to be prepared to think and act long-term.

Yes, the country badly needs an upgrade from the dysfunction of our current political system. But it won't happen all at once.

On a personal level, I had to make a decision: What was the best thing for the country? I chose to stand down, and I'm 100 percent comfortable that this was the best decision. Each voter has the same decision.

Now, this could be endlessly frustrating to those of us who are fed up by both major parties and want an alternative. And a presidential campaign is a fantastic way to drum up interest and resources. I would know! Why vote for a candidate you are not excited about? Don't you deserve better?

Yes, you do. But here's the truth of it: Either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump will be the President of the United States in January. Your vote — especially if you live in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia or North Carolina — could determine which of those two individuals wins. You should make sure your vote goes to whichever of those two candidates you would prefer to see in office. If you're having trouble choosing between those two, hunker down until you've made a choice and then vote accordingly.

Now, this does not mean you can't express your dissatisfaction with the major parties in other ways. If you live in a state where it's a foreordained conclusion who is going to win, then you're more free to vote however you like. Nationally, you can support an Independent candidate like Dan Osborn, who is running for Senate in Nebraska and is tied with the incumbent. You can support the campaigns for open primaries and ranked choice voting in Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, Idaho, Oregon and Montana this November. You can join the Forward chapter in your state and make clear that you want to establish a voice for the 50 percent of Americans who are Independents and feel on the outside looking in at our current political system. Believe me, there's a lot to do. Americans deserve more choice and we are building the infrastructure to make it happen.

But you should not vote for a third party presidential candidate this cycle if you live in a swing state. It might make you feel like you are voting your conscience or voting for something different. In reality, you'll be voting for a lesser version of the status quo. And that's something that we should all be striving to avoid.

We deserve better. I don't think Donald Trump is the path to get there. Vote accordingly.