With the first national presidential debate right around the corner, people are wondering how the next four years are going to be for the United States. The 2016 elections have been chaotic, with accusations of felonious behavior on one side to an almost caricature circus atmosphere on the other.

People are getting so frustrated they would rather vote for one party just to avoid the other. The lesser of two evils method is dividing our country so drastically over parties that we have a hard time believing in.

Should this be how we vote for someone who will be representing our nation and making our policies for the next four years?

With the tension of our choices looming over us, third party candidates are making a bigger impact than usual on the polls. Jill Stein of the Green Party is at 3%, while Gary Johnson, on the libertarian ticket, is heading towards the 15% required by the Commission on Presidential Debates.

Why is this so important?

We need more options. Gary Johnson’s main campaign theme is giving the people a third candidate to choose from. Johnson has recently taken out a full page ad in the New York Times, where he has asked the CPD to reconsider the old standards that allow candidates to debate. Johnson’s numbers in multiple polls have been higher than the required percentage needed. He has gained the support of major newspapers such as the Boston Herald and Chicago Tribune. The Washington Post has averaged his state support at 12%, while the polls used by the CDP come to 9%.

The numbers just don’t add up. Johnson has been approved to be on the ballot for all 50 states. And with 47-65% (percentages vary by poll sources) of the people claiming they don’t fully support either the Democrats or Republicans, the numbers are even more confusing. Perhaps he is right. We live in a different era than the one where these standards were formed. Technology has allowed more polls and surveys, more access to information about our candidates, and more opportunities for the people to give their opinions.

Johnson’s request is that he be allowed to take part in the debates. We do not need to support Johnson to accept this. If we are so secure in our candidates, Johnson will not be a threat. But if we are supposed to believe all the polls, we may need to accept that our Republican and Democratic choices are not good enough for the majority of Americans at this time.

A vote for Gary Johnson is not a wasted vote. A vote for Jill Stein is not a wasted vote. The only way to change the system is to show our disapproval. Perhaps these third party candidates will not win the 2016 elections. Perhaps they will. But if enough people are willing to vote for who they really believe in, and not just who is less bad, we may be able to alter the way elections are conducted in the future.

We need to take our vote seriously. We should be allowed to hear those who want to be heard, and base our opinions on all the information, not just the information certain commissions and parties wish us to hear.