this post was submitted on 05 Aug 2026
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[–] baronvonj@piefed.social 8 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

The overall election rules are rigged in favor of the D/R duopoly. I have several big posts, with sources, on the current statistics. To summarize:

  • 3 out of 535 members of US Congress are independent or 3rd party. One of them elected as R and changed in office. One won the D nomination before turning it down and running as independent
  • Fewer than 100 out of >7200 state level legislators.
  • Zero EC votes for a 3rd party presidential candidate since 1968, including Ross Perot when he won 19% of the national popular vote
  • No 3rd party was on the ballot in all 50 states in 2024, only 3 were in more than 10 states

Unless you have an independent or 3rd party incumbent, or have some form of ranked choice in your district the winner will be either the D or R nominee.

[–] brachiosaurus@mander.xyz -3 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Your argument is that elections are rigged because a third party never got voted for?

[–] baronvonj@piefed.social 5 points 11 hours ago

I'm showing the observations that would lead one to hypothesize that the elections are rigged against 3rd parties. If you can look at the gerrymandered districts, the ballot access rules, the minimum percentage of the vote needed for public funding, the plurality-based vote counting, etc and then combine that with the statistically non-existent representation of 3rd party and independent legislators at the state and federal level and not suspect that the elections are rigged against 3rd parties then I don't know what to else to say to you.