NEW YORK, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Harry R. Burger, who is running for Congress under less-known Green Party in New York's 2nd congressional district, recently carried several yard signs for himself and his party's presidential candidates and placed them around an early voting site at Babylon Town Hall Annex on Long Island of New York State.

In a dark green jacket, Burger lamented somebody stole his yard signs which were placed there a few days ago.

Because only the two main political parties—the Republicans and Democrats—have a real chance at winning most elections, Americans tend to forget about the third and fourth biggest parties, the Libertarian Party and the Green Party, respectively. This year, both these parties are fielding candidates for the nation's highest office.

The Observer was able to secure an interview with the Green Party presidential candidate, Howie Hawkins, who spoke at length about the environmental-economic nexus, the basis of his party's platform. Aside from environmental sustainability and economic viability, the other two primary components of the Green Party's platform are democracy and social justice. Hawkins is a long time environmental activist and trade unionist who has unsuccessfully ran for a variety of political offices in the past.

With the massive spending and huckstering being done by the two major party presidential candidates, something is being lost in the mix. There are two other candidates who have a mathematical chance to win enough Electoral College votes to become the next president: Jo Jorgensen of the Libertarian Party and Howie Hawkins of the Green Party.

They could both amass enough votes to win but were excluded from the debate stage. Why? Because the Commission on Presidential Debates, or CPD, is a wholly owned, nonprofit subsidiary of the Democratic and Republican parties. It stole the mantle of holding the debates from the League of Women Voters back in the 1980s in order to control the process front to back.

Democrat and Republican. Liberal and Conservative. Left and Right. The United States is dominated by a bipartisan system. These two poles vehemently oppose each other, demanding that citizens choose a side. The media perpetuates this bipartisanship, almost exclusively covering these two parties. Yet, more than 60 other political parties are currently active throughout the country. Some of them, such as the Libertarian and Vermont Progressive Parties, are represented in Congress or state legislators. Others, such as the Green Party, have representatives serving at the municipal level.

It is important to realize we have had two parties of the millionaires governing the United States since its founding. People have always had to pick between which of the millionaire parties we should choose from when neither put the people's interests first. Some people have found a successful third way that builds people's power.

Those in the Green Party view popular movements and third-party candidates (who cannot win elections in this rigged system) working together to change the direction of the country. We would rather vote for what we want and not get it in an election but use our vote to build a national consensus for the changes we need. That is a better alternative than voting for what we do not want, i.e. "a certifiable, lying, murdering war criminal" and a racist mass incarcerator, and getting it.

• Angela Walker of the Green Party says it's "very simple: The people who show up and vote Green or Libertarian ... are people who are not going to give their votes to the Democrats or the Republicans."

Kim Brown: So several weeks ago, though it does seem as though it's been at least a few years when Joe Biden announced that Senator Kamala Harris was going to be his running mate for president. A lot of people, particularly democratic liberals were very excited. Oh, there's a black woman on the ticket. And a lot of us leftist progressives were like, there's already a black woman on a ticket of a national party. I'd like for everyone to meet Angela Walker, she is the VP candidate for Howie Hawkins, Green Party ticket for president 2020. And this is a very interesting conversation. First of all, Angela is a fascinating woman and she has a lot to offer a lot to talk about what the Green Party perhaps has to offer voters. And we want to begin the conversation actually talking about the ways to build political power beyond voting.

In recent opinion pieces, Joshua Holzer has suggested that a vote for a third party is a wasted vote and that their supporters should vote for the "lesser of two evils" — Joe Biden for president. Holzer is wrong factually and historically.

First, Republicans see Donald Trump as the lesser evil. Should Libertarians and Constitutionalists vote for Trump?

The Wisconsin Elections Commission and the Wisconsin Supreme Court have done their best to silence the Wisconsin Green Party, but we are not submitting to the corporate duopoly. We are still fighting and will continue to fight beyond November for the real change Wisconsinites need: universal healthcare, a clean and healthy eco-system, peace, and justice for real humans - not "corporate persons".

While the WI Democratic Party and the WI Supreme Court succeeded in taking away the ballot line we worked so hard for, Wisconsin will still be able to vote Green.  We have become a hidden choice, but you can still help build a powerful grassroots political force adding to over a million courageous people around the nation.

• Candidate for PA House District 64 Wants End To Per Diem Pay

Michael Bagdes-Canning is the Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA) candidate for PA House District 64, and he is a man of the people. "For too long the politicians who govern us have promised us the world, only to sell it to the highest corporate bidder," said Michael. "The corruption of our two major parties has been the millstone around the neck of our once thriving working-class community. How many good, high paying jobs must move away before we stand up and say we won't take it anymore? The jobs we have lost are gone, and we cannot bring them back."

Last week, I wrote about what is needed in this moment and urged people to look more deeply, beyond the Biden-Trump spectacle, to understand where we are as a country and what we must do to change course. I cited the work of Gabriel Rockhill. Read his three recent articles in Counterpunch and the fourth in the series here at Black Agenda Report for an enhanced understanding of how we got here and what we are up against.