Uptown Notes

Recently I got to share some brief words with Complex.com on why third party voting isn’t what you’ve been told. I have been voting third party for years and see its virtues and vices. There are droves of people who are willing to tell you who to vote for and for whom not to vote–that’s totally their right. But what can’t continue to happen is spreading rumor as fact and discouraging democratic possibilities.

The closer we get to Election Day, the more voters are likely to feel like Neo in The Matrix when he’s offered a choice between the blue or red pill—a choice that will decide both individual and universal fates. Our democracy isn’t a Hollywood production, however, and the truth is that there are more than two options. For nearly 10 years, I’ve voted my values and cast ballots for third-party candidates—and I’ve survived, despite the many myths about what that choice would mean for our nation and the political process. Misrepresentations about voting third party may keep many voters from breaking out of the two-party system, but they shouldn’t. There’s life beyond the Republican-Democrat matrix if you know the truth. Here are five of the most popular myths about voting third party, and why they’re total bull: Read More