Third-party candidates are often accused of acting as “spoilers” by siphoning votes from the two major parties’ nominees and potentially tipping the balance in an election. Perhaps the most notable example of this is Ralph Nader. The former Green Party candidate is frequently accused of helping George W. Bush win the 2000 presidential election
Should Third Parties Support ‘Vote Pacts’ To Avoid ‘Spoiling’ Elections?
Unlike other vote swapping schemes which pair a voter in a swing state with a voter in a ‘safe’ state, a vote pact pairs voters across party lines who each promise to cast their ballots for a third-party candidate instead.
