Lately I’ve noticed people taking the quiz from iSideWith to give them an idea of who they should vote for. Having taken the quiz myself, I found that I align more with Jill Stein than with Hillary Clinton, who I will be voting for in November.

While it is absolutely necessary that voters make informed decisions, I believe sites like iSideWith are doing more harm to the voter base by including third-party candidates, especially in this election cycle. In 2012, the site featured five third-party candidates for users to “side with”. This year, there are two: Jill Stein and Gary Johnson.

Featuring these two candidates, when they will not achieve the necessary poll numbers to reach the CPD’s debate stage, and when they have no mathematical chance of winning the presidency, endangers this election, and
encourages people to “vote their conscience”.

Lots of disgruntled voters have talked about this idea. Bernie-or-Busters, frustrated independents, even Ted Cruz told the RNC to vote their conscience, before throwing his support behind Donald Trump. It’s a way to protest the two-party system, they claim, the candidates both pose a threat to the nation’s future.

Consider the following scenario:

Neither Clinton nor Trump can capture 270 electoral votes. New Mexico, by a miracle, goes to Gary Johnson. What happens now?

In this event, the House of Representatives would immediately elect the next President, with each state delegation receiving one vote. 33 states currently have a majority of Republican representatives to Democratic representatives, therefore, it is reasonable to assume that those 33 states will vote for, and elect, Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States.

And this is why “voting your conscience” is destructive and dangerous. It’s willingly giving your vote to a failed Congress that has had the lowest approval ratings in history. It’s risking the next four years of the country so you can feel pride that you “protested the system.” It’s essentially saying that you do not care who is elected president, and you don’t give a damn about the people whose livelihoods could be jeopardized as a result.

Voting your conscience is saying that your sense of satisfaction matter more than the future of the United States.

Make the right decision, and ensure that Donald Trump stays out of the White House.