The 2016 presidential election is turning out to be one of the most dynamic in modern political history. The major-party candidates have the highest unfavorable ratings in recent history, and many in this country can’t stomach the idea of casting their votes for either of them. A host of polls conducted in recent months show high support for a third-party candidate, and already certain alternate candidates are polling in double digits against Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

The American people have a choice to make. They can no longer buy into the age-old argument that you have to vote for the lesser of two evils. As voters, we get trapped into this argument every election season as if we have to hold our nose and vote for somebody we really don’t believe in. The future of this country can no longer depend on ignorance, and as citizens of this great republic, we have to stand up and make our voices heard.

I am standing up and making my voice heard by saying I won’t be forced into voting for somebody I don’t believe in. I am standing by my conscience and voting for the candidate who will bring a sense of brightness to this country’s future. I am voting for Gary Johnson and the Libertarian Party in November.

As a longtime Republican who supported George Bush in 2004 and joined the Ron Paul Revolution of 2008 and 2012, I saw the destruction of the Republican Party over the past year with the rise of Donald Trump and his anti-American rhetoric. Therefore, holding true to my Libertarian principles, I switched my party affiliation and became an active member of the Libertarian Party.

Johnson is the sane choice for America and is the only one in this race who has any type of successful governing experience. Having served as the two-term governor of New Mexico, Johnson oversaw the most successful period of growth in the state’s history. He held true to limited-government principles and vetoed more than 750 bills that would have been detrimental to the state’s success. He left the state with huge surpluses and put them on track to economic success.

Johnson is the only candidate in this election who makes sense on the issues important for this country. He advocates an agenda that stands on the principle of limited government in both economic and social life. Freedom is the center point of his thinking and guides his campaign for the presidency. We need a candidate who stands up for the rights of all Americans and advocates the concept of letting me live the life I want to live as long as my actions don’t affect other individuals.

Johnson supports the legalization of marijuana. He supports LGBT rights at all levels. He believes that crony capitalism is alive and well and needs to be smashed. He believes in eliminating the IRS and replacing our tax system with the fair tax. He supports free trade as a means to peace. He believes we intervene too much overseas and should only go to war by a congressional declaration. He believes strongly in choice, both economically and socially. He believes that racial issues in this country can be fixed by ending the War on Drugs. He supports making it easier for immigrants to get work visas and opposes the building of a wall on our southern border. He believes that our nation wastes too much money and needs to reduce its deficits and debt. Above all, he believes in personal freedom, which is the backbone of a prosperous society.

I stand behind every one of these positions as do many Americans. The Libertarian way of thinking is universal among many in the United States and holds a basic view on the way that society should function.

My message for anyone who thinks they have to vote for the lesser of two evils is simple: listen to your conscience and realize your vote as a citizen of the United States is precious. Don’t let anyone tell you that by not voting for the Democrats or Republicans, you are wasting your vote. No vote is wasted if it is cast in good judgment and based on which candidate you think is best for this country.

Robert J. Bentley is state director of Colorado for Gary Johnson.

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