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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Is a vote for a third-party candidate more powerful in some states than in others?

By Seth Smalley
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YES

Votes for third parties in states with closely balanced support for the two major parties can have a more substantial impact than in states with more lopsided partisan alignments.

This is clearest in presidential races, with state-by-state winner-take-all decisions to determine each state's Electoral College vote. In "battleground states" that routinely swing narrowly between Democrats and Republicans, a relatively small number of votes for a third-party candidate can be decisive. In 2000, supporters of Green Party candidate Ralph Nader swung Florida's, and the nation's, presidential choice. Nader won 97,488 votes in the state, while George Bush and Al Gore each received just under 3 million. In the end, after a Supreme Court ruling ending recounts, Bush was declared the victor with a margin of 537 votes, giving him the edge in the Electoral College.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
AP: Third parties could play a lesser role in 2020 campaign
Federal Election Commission: 2000 presidential election results
University of Virginia: The third-party impact on American politics
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Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.