Green Party supporter
© Reuters / Mike Segar
According to important people on television, voting for a third party is irresponsible and selfish. But this puerile belief no longer holds water in Maine, which is using ranked choice voting in November's midterm elections.

Polls show that a comfortable majority of Americans think that a viable third party is necessary to make their representative government actually represent their views. But ironically, those who vote their conscience are often demonized as purists who allow one of the "lesser of two evils" to triumph.

But this close-minded mantra is being retired - at least in Maine. The state is using ranked choice voting (RCV) in November's congressional races, allowing voters to rank each candidate. In this system, if your first choice is eliminated, you can still lend support to the "less evil" corporate hack.

In other words: Now there's no excuse not to vote for the anti-war candidate. The new voting system is just what America needs, Marni Halasa, candidate for New York City Council as an independent, told RT's Caleb Maupin.