Voting is underway in the United States.
Donald Trump of the Republican Party and Kamala Harris of the Democratic Party are the two primary contenders in the US presidential election.
However, the influence of third-party candidates is often overlooked.
Jill Stein of the Green Party and Chase Oliver of the Libertarian Party are two major third-party candidates in this election.
Despite the focus on the two front-runners, Stein appears to be having an impact in some states, attracting people from both main parties to her environmentalist one.
Here’s all we know about her and her impact on this election.
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Who is Jill Stein?
Stein is the US Green Party nominee for the ongoing presidential elections. The party, which promotes social justice and the environment, is a left-wing federation of US Green State parties.
The 74-year-old, who was born in Chicago and grew up in Illinois, earned degrees from Harvard Medical School in 1979 and Harvard College in 1973. She is listed as a practising physician on her campaign website.
Stein, who is well-known for her progressive views, opposes US vetoes in the UN Security Council and demands an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as well as a stop to arms sales to human rights abusers. Part of her foreign policy agenda is to dismantle NATO and replace it with a “modern, inclusive security framework.”
On November 9, 2023, she posted a video message on X announcing her candidature. She had previously run for office in 2012 and 2016. She launched her campaign accusing Democrats of betraying their promises “for working people, youth and the climate again and again — while Republicans don’t even make such promises in the first place.”
According to USA Todaylast year, Stein announced her intention to pursue an “economic bill of rights” for Americans, encompassing “the right to a job, health care, housing, food, education, and more.”
She also pushed for the elimination of medical and student loans.
Stein came under fire from Democrats during the 2016 presidential election for allegedly taking votes away from Hillary Clinton in significant battleground states. About 1.32 million votes were cast for her in that year.
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How is she impacting the elections?
With ballots still being cast in some states and others — including Georgia and Pennsylvania, two key swing states — closed, it is difficult to predict how Stein is faring in the polls. Yet pre-election polls are a reliable tool to predict the Green Party’s influence.
Though she has won zero Electoral College votes, she has gained about 517,318 (0.4 per cent) of votes.
In the first week of October, The New York Times published a poll that showed Stein’s total national polling at around one per cent.
The polling results for Stein and the Green Party in the seven swing states are most likely to determine the outcome of the US elections. According to the Brazilian agency, AtlasIntel, which conducted a study of voters in the swing states from October 30 to October 31, here’s how Stein is faring:
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Arizona: 1.1 per cent of voters preferred Stein; 50.8 per cent preferred Trump; and 45.9 per cent preferred Harris
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Georgia: Two per cent for Stein; 48.8 per cent for Trump; and 47.2 per cent for Harris
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Michigan: 1.7 per cent for Stein; 49.2 per cent for Trump; and 48.3 per cent for Harris
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Nevada: 1.2 per cent of voters chose “Others”; 50.5 per cent chose Trump; and 46.9 per cent chose Harris; Stein did not figure on the ballot
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North Carolina: 0.7 per cent for Stein; 50.7 per cent for Trump; and 46.7 per cent for Harris
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Pennsylvania: One per cent for Stein; 48.5 per cent for Trump; and 47.4 per cent for Harris
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Wisconsin: 0.8 per cent for Stein; 48.5 per cent for Trump; and 48.2 per cent for Harris
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Could Stein swing the election?
Given how close the margins are between Trump and Harris, experts think Stein’s votes could change the outcome of the race.
Bernard Tamas, professor of political science at Valdosta State University, told The Guardian“The vote right now is so close that a small amount of tipping in one direction or another could swing it.”
The Guardian also quoted Nura Sediqe, an assistant professor in American politics at Michigan State University, as saying, “Muslims are split. They’re not all voting third party, but let’s imagine a third are: then you’ve got up to 50,000 votes that had traditionally gone to the Democrats moving away. So if the margin is as slim as it was last time, it may affect the Democratic party.”
In theory, Stein can influence the election, but in reality, it depends on how closely the results are decided, according to Kyle Kopko, an adjunct professor of political science at Pennsylvania’s Elizabethtown College, who spoke to Al Jazeera. The expert says it will take an “extraordinarily close election” for her to win the vote.
According to PoliticoEuropean Green politicians, however, have voiced concerns about Stein’s influence on the election and urged her to drop out and support Harris.
According to the statement released on November 1 by Green parties in Germany, France, and Italy, “the race for the White House is too close for comfort,” and Harris is the only candidate who can stop Trump’s comeback.
Stein’s campaign dismissed the call to step down. “We are committed to this campaign for the presidency and would never betray our legion of supporters… regardless of which anti-democratic person or group makes the suggestion,” her team responded.
With inputs from agencies
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