The more candidates in the race, the better for Donald J. Trump, supporters say. And in a tight presidential contest, a small share of voters could change the result.

This works because almost all the US uses first-past-the-post elections for the Presidential general election. So you get outcomes like this:

Scenario 1:

Biden: 10 votes

Trump: 9 votes

Kennedy/Stein/West: 0 votes

Biden wins the state

Scenario 2:

Biden: 9 votes

Trump: 9 votes

Kennedy/Stein/West: 1 vote

Tied vote, decided by game of chance/lawsuit

Scenario 3:

Biden: 8 votes

Trump: 9 votes

Kennedy/Stein/West: 2 votes

Trump wins the state

This is why you see huge financial support from Republican billionaires for third party candidates who have no chance of winning.

    • stanleytweedle@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      7 months ago

      What third party candidate do you think would pull more voters from Biden than Trump?

      I’ll give you another chance to prove your functionally literate.

      • originalfrozenbanana@lemm.ee
        1·
        7 months ago

        *you’re

        The article directly addresses that and you could google it anyway. Why don’t we skip to the part where you make the point you were going to make and stop pretending like you care about my answer?

          • originalfrozenbanana@lemm.ee
            1·
            7 months ago

            Yeah you got it bucko, I can’t name any candidates I just link to 538 articles that you don’t read. Seriously just make your point already, stop edging me.