The United States has always had a distinct two-party system. While names and ideologies have shifted over time, two main parties have remained dominant throughout the country’s political history.

This system leaves little room for third parties to gain significant power. Rather, third parties tend to narrow their focus on specific issues that may be overlooked by dominant parties.

For example, a main focus of the campaign of Hannah Goodman, chairwoman of the Libertarian Party of Colorado and candidate for Colorado’s 4th congressional district, is agricultural prosperity in eastern Colorado. 

“My family has helped shape Colorado politics as well as agriculture here in Colorado since 1886,” Goodman said. “I have a very broad overview of the economic value of agriculture. I hit it from an economic perspective because that is what I am most fluent in.”

Colorado is a hotspot for third parties. Below are the major third parties on Colorado’s ballot according to the office of Secretary of State Jena Griswold:

The Constitution Party focuses on upholding the principles of the Declaration of Independence, the American Constitution and the Bill of Rights. 

The Approval Voting Party promotes change in the voting process and electoral systems. 

The Colorado Center Party focuses on bridging the divide between the two major parties and changing the voting process. 

The Colorado Forward Party is centered on values and principles first and policies second. 

The Green Party of Colorado approaches politics with a holistic, ecological outlook. 

The Libertarian Party of Colorado emphasizes individual rights and liberties with little government intervention. 

The No Labels Colorado Party promotes centrism and bipartisanship through the “common sense majority.”

The Unity Party of Colorado is a collection of Americans from all parties focused on finding solutions rather than focusing on differences. 

Colorado’s unique electoral system significantly impacts the ability of third parties to gain traction in American politics. 

According to Ballotpedia, Colorado state legislators and state executives are elected by plurality vote in a single-member system. A single-member system elects a single member for office. In a plurality voting system, the candidate with the most votes wins the election.

Associate Professor Matthew Hitt, who teaches American government and politics at Colorado State University with a specialization in decision making, explained the impact of the election process on third-party candidates. 

“A country that elects its legislature using first-past-the-post voting and single-member districts, like we have for the United States House of Representatives, strongly encourages the development of only two major political parties,” Hitt said. “This is because there is no reward for a party running a candidate that finishes third, fourth or fifth — you get nothing in the legislature.” 

Additionally, an ongoing debate in American politics is the idea of wasted votes or votes cast for a candidate who has little chance of winning. Hitt touched upon whether voting for a third party is worth it or not. 

“If you think of voting as your means by which you exercise some influence over the outcome of elections, then you will exercise very little influence on the outcome of elections by voting third party,” Hitt said.

Gary Swing, chairman of the Unity Party of Colorado and candidate running in Colorado State Senate District 18, urged voters not to follow the crowd. 

“Representation is for people to vote for people who represent their views,” Swing said. “If you don’t feel the Democrats or Republicans represent your perspective, then you should vote your conscience if you choose to vote.”

Many students at CSU are voting for the first time. Assistant Professor Anna Mikkelborg, who also teaches American government and politics at CSU with a specialization in political identity, doesn’t want students to feel overwhelmed. 

“There’s an analogy floating around the internet that I like: ‘Voting isn’t a marriage; it’s public transportation,’” Mikkelborg said. “Just because you vote for a member of a particular party doesn’t mean that you are part of that party. It doesn’t mean that you have to identify strongly with that party.”

Mikkelborg also urged students to shift their focus away from the presidential election and instead look toward the local level. 

“You can vote in state-level elections; you have congressional elections,” Mikkelborg said. “A lot of those elections are going to decide outcomes that have a much more concrete effect on people’s lives in Colorado than the presidential election is going to.”

Reach Claire VanDeventer at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.