Originally Posted by pondering_it_all
Couldn't those final numbers just reflect Third Party voters not even bothering to vote? Seems like a lot of hassle just so your Third Party candidate can have a slightly higher losing percentage.
Interesting thought. Certainly possible. The drop from 11% of the electorate planning on voting third party against both major party candidates down to the final 4.5%, certainly staying home and saying to Hades with it is very possible.

Especially since the exit polls of those who voted show the vast majority of third party voters weren't voting for their candidate, but against both Trump and Clinton. The Libertarian Party's candidate had never received more than 1% of the vote until 2016, 3.3%. That triple, more likely quadruple their normal 0.5 to 0.8%.

I hadn't thought of that, learn something new everyday. I suspect about half of those 11% planning on voting third party who didn't, decided to just to stay home and the other half decided to vote for the lesser of two evils.

It's high past time that we start electing Americans to congress and the presidency who put America first instead of their political party. For way too long we have been electing Republicans and Democrats who happen to be Americans instead of Americans who happen to be Republicans and Democrats.