Early voting has started in Indiana but one choice Hoosiers won't see on their presidential ballots are the Green Party of Jill Stein and her running mate Ajamu Baraka.

Baraka, who spent two years in South Bend from 1969 to 1971, was in the city Monday to talk to residents about voting for a Green Party candidate and why it is not a wasted vote in this election.

"People are looking for a change," Baraka said. "A real change. People are beginning to recognize the only real change in this country is, in fact, the Green Party."

But the deck is surely stacked against them. Polls have the Green Party anywhere from two to four percent, thus rendering a vote for the Green Party useless with the lion's share going to Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton. However, Baraka bucks this notion.

"People are looking for something different," he said. "They may not be prepared to vote for the Green Party but feel insulted they only have these two choices. We say, look. You don't have to give your vote to those parties. You don't have to waste your vote."

Some see his point.

"I'm a first time voter this year," Blu Casey, founder of the Nu Black Power Movement and organizer of Baraka's visit said. "I voted this year for Bernie Sanders and I don't want to use my first [vote] to mean, putting someone into that presidential office that I do not want."

"These candidates are not entitled to our votes," Jennifer O'Brien, a Green Party supporter said. "They should be earning them."

Green Party supporters aren't the only ones saying their votes are important. Third party voters think this is the year to make an impact.

"Lifelong voters are made election cycle by election cycle," Ivan Williams, a Libertarian supporter said. "With enough movement behind one of these parties, that's when we'll see change. It may not be today. It might not be the next election cycle, but one day that could be within our grasp. That's not going to happen unless people make the decision right now."

Baraka echoes those feelings. He says it's more important to vote for who you identify with rather than voting for someone because they are the biggest competition for the person you do not support.

"Vote for something," Baraka said. "Don't just vote against. Basically, if you vote against something, you are in fact, wasting your vote. We say, don't engage in the lesser of two evils because when you do that, you're still supporting evil. Vote your conscience. Vote your principles. Vote for democracy."

However, it's going to be an uphill battle for Stein and Baraka, especially in Indiana. The Green Party is not represented on the presidential ballot in the Hoosier State. So if voters were to vote for the Green Party, they would need to write in.

The White House isn't necessarily the only way the Green Party would claim a victory on Nov. 8. If the party surpasses five percent of the popular vote, it could mean valuable federal funding to ensure they are on the Hoosier ballot, and all ballots for that matter, next election cycle.

"We are fighting every day for every vote," Baraka said. "We know if we are able to have a real base of support beyond five percent, that we have a chance to be even stronger next time around but we're not giving up this time. We are fighting for every vote. Who knows what might happen?"