An alternative is needed because Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump do not represent their parties. 

For most undergraduate students, this will be the first presidential election in which we can vote. I cannot help but feel that the republican and democratic parties have failed to provide us with candidates that can be supported without reluctance.

I do not think Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton should be elected president because they both represent the problems in our two-party system.

Both of the candidates are stuck bickering with personal attacks which only increase the partisan divide in the country. In addition, this promises no improvement in the unproductive government we have endured for far too long.

Another problem with these candidates is that they address issues like building a wall or e-mail confidentiality issues, but issues such as the obesity epidemic, the immense power of Super PACs in elections and improving relationships with Latin America after interventions during the 20th century remain unaddressed. The political situation is dismal to say the least.

It seems that the electoral model designed to keep the government functioning fairly has failed with both political parties failing to accurately represent their supporters’ ideas and nominate tolerable candidates.

The only option to save our current political situation is to use third parties to break the two-party hold on our democracy.

In the 2016 election, only one third-party candidate will be listed on the ballots in all 50 states: Gary Johnson. He is the Libertarian candidate, and even though he is a former republican governor, he has the potential to sway both conservative and liberal voters.

Johnson promotes fiscal responsibility while also advocating social tolerance. His moderate views appeal to voters on the left and right who feel failed by the laughingstock this election is nationally and internationally.

During his tenure, Johnson was a successful republican leader in a mostly democratic state. This demonstrates his ability to promote cooperation between the two parties, a trait that the other two candidates clearly lack. Johnson is the only candidate that I feel will move America towards a better future and bridge the widening gap in our society.

A vote for a third party candidate is not a wasted vote — it is a protest against the failures of a broken system.

In addition to the Libertarian Party, the Green Party and the Constitution Party are options for voters not content with the current political situation.

A vote for Gary Johnson does not promote Clinton or Trump; it is a statement that you are not satisfied with the major-party candidates provided regardless of political affiliation.