In 2016, everyone who voted 3rd party got Trump, the candidate they wanted the least.
In 2020, everyone who voted 3rd party was either going to get Biden, (the candidate they are moderately aligned with), or Trump, the candidate they were least aligned with.
In both cases, people who voted 3rd party made their chances worse. If you want more parties, the laws needs to change first, or else you’re just wasting your vote and giving it to conservatives, who benefit from your 3rd party vote the most. You may not like it, but you are playing for Conservatives in the political game, and that goes for people who don’t vote too.
2016, everyone who voted 3rd party got Trump
everyone who voted for hilary got trump, too
you’re just wasting your vote and giving it to conservatives,
no, i’m giving it to leftists.
Why bother voting at all? What difference does your non-Democrat, non-Republican vote make? If you really feel the need to be self-righteous about it, save yourself the energy, stay home, and just tell people you voted for Cornel West or whoever. They’ll never know otherwise.