November 5 approaches. Everyone knows this date – the marker for our nation to decide between Harris and Trump. In reality, we may not know the results of the vote for days or weeks after that, but the importance of the day is seared into our minds. 

Still, I am concerned that our focus on Democrats and Republicans obscures the larger choice facing us: to hold fast to the current options or break free of them. These two parties are the current avatars of our political system, but of course that wasn’t always the case. Any student of American history could recite the parties that have come and gone. And the cue for a new party has often been when one or both of the current ones has outlived its usefulness.

Unfortunately, neither of the current parties promotes the progressive policies that most Americans want and need. Differences exist between them and the Democrats are better on many issues, but those differences are not significant enough, and both parties gravitate toward conservative, corporate-funded positions. 

When it comes to economic prosperity, neither Democrats nor Republicans advocate a living wage for workers. We are at a point where even $15 per hour won’t suffice, but Democrats failed to push for even that during Biden’s term. 

Previously, asylum had been a bedrock component of our national immigration policies, but earlier this year Biden implemented a plan that restricts access to asylum, an idea Trump had previously championed. Harris supports the continuation of this plan. 

And in Gaza, while Trump is telling Netanyahu to “finish the job”, Harris can’t seem to utter the words “Israel’s right to defend itself” often enough. The Biden administration has supported – and either Trump’s or Harris’s administration will continue to support – Israel’s attacks on Gaza until they decide they are finished with the slaughter. 

What can we do about any of this?

The answer is that, because Harris will win Illinois’ electoral votes regardless, those of us who live here can vote for a party that is on the right side of the issues: the Green Party. Some might ask, “What good will that do when either Harris or Trump will win the presidency anyway?” If the Green Party earns 5% of the vote nationally, they will qualify for federal election funds in the next election, allowing them to compete on a more even playing field. That could be the start of the trajectory for us to grow the Green Party into a national force in electoral politics. 

If you want to support that effort, you can vote for Jill Stein. She is not on the ballot here in Illinois, but she is an approved write-in candidate. In Cook County, select the option for a write-in vote and write in “Jill Stein and Rudolph Ware.” Your vote will be counted along with the national Green vote. 

Whether Harris or Trump wins this upcoming election, we need a stronger advocate in support of Gaza, compassionate immigration policies, and progressive economic policies. We need an empowered Green Party. Voting Green in this election is one way to contribute to this empowerment. And then after this election, we need to continue building the party, supporting Green candidates in state and local elections. We will need institutional actors who can advocate against Trump’s policies from a place of clarity, or we will need institutional actors who can push Harris to adopt the progressive policies that are supported by a majority of voters. Growing the Green movement will allow us to push our government, whatever the outcome of the election on November 5.

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