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Letters | Why I won’t be voting for Harris or Trump in the election

Readers discuss disillusionment with the US political system, the Democrats’ uphill battle to win over Arab Americans, the cruelty of zoos, and Hong Kong’s drive to promote itself

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A person in a Kamala Harris and Donald Trump costume attends the 51st Annual Village Halloween Parade in New York on October 31. Photo: EPA-EFE

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As election day looms in the US with both leading presidential candidates still neck and neck, in what has been called the “most dramatic and divisive White House race in modern times”, I have made up my mind: I won’t be voting for either of them.

Politics has always been a central aspect of my life, shaping my world views and influencing my actions. I was a long-time staunch Democrat and considered myself fully liberal, but as the years passed, a shift began to occur within me. I did not really see it coming, but 2016 was a time of great political upheaval and uncertainty in US politics, and in my own mind as well.

In the midst of a tumultuous presidential election, where before I would have been a loyal Hillary Clinton supporter, I found myself grappling with questions about the nature of politics and the efficacy of the two-party system itself, which I began to see as simply two sides of the same coin, with the two parties ineffectively dealing with the real problems of real people.

It was then that I made a pivotal decision: to vote with my heart, not with my head. I resolved to prioritise my values and beliefs over partisan loyalty, to vote based on what I felt was right rather than what I thought was politically expedient. This shift in perspective marked a turning point in my political journey. No longer bound by the constraints of party allegiance, I began to see the shortcomings of both Republicans and Democrats.

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It was against this backdrop of disillusionment that I discovered the Green Party – a seeming beacon of hope in a sea of political stagnation. Its commitment to progressive values and environmental sustainability sounded good to me. I saw this as a refreshing alternative to the status quo, and made the decision to cast aside the old paradigms of Republican vs Democrat and embrace a new path forward.

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