“You will throw away your vote!” declaimed a City of DuBois official when, two years ago, I suggested that I might vote for Libertarian Gary Johnson rather than Republican (and winner) Donald Trump or Democrat Hillary Clinton.

That same criticism is relevant these days as other voters and I, who do not affiliate with either Republicans or Democrats, consider what to do when we face the computerized keyboard in election precinct halls on Nov. 6.

How do we make those decisions in contests for U.S. Senate, for Pennsylvania governor, for U.S. Congress, for state Senate (in areas where that is on the ballot; in our area, it is not), for state House?

I am a registered Libertarian. When last I checked, there were 164 of us registered in Jefferson County, compared to 17,362 Republicans and 9,008 Democrats. I found that out by visiting the registration office in Brookville. State-level statistics give specific numbers for only Republicans, Democrats and independent voters (1,851 in Jefferson County). We Libertarians are lumped in an “all other voters” clump of 1,600 people, presumably including Constitution Party, Green Party and, for all I know, socialists, communists, temperance folks and Flying Spaghetti Monster adherents.

It is a safe bet that Libertarians will not win any of the races listed on the Jefferson County ballot.

But Libertarians and Green Party voters did gain two crucial entrees into getting some of our adherents elected. On the sample ballot for Jefferson, there is a “straight party” option. Filling in that oval allows a voter to vote for all Republicans or all Democrats.

This year, we can also vote for all Libertarians or all Constitution Party candidates.

I wouldn’t do that. I detest voting by political party alone.

But I am thrilled that, after decades of being kept off the listed ballots and having to depend on write-in votes alone, Libertarians and Green Party voters actually do have that choice this year.

The other crucial entree is what has me agonizing over how to vote on Nov. 6.

The race for U.S. Senate has four listed candidates: Bob Casey (incumbent) Democrat; Lou Barletta, Republican; Neal Gale, Green Party; and Dale R. Kerns Jr., Libertarian.

For governor, listed candidates are: Democrat (incumbent) Tom Wolf; Republican Scott Wagner; Paul Glover, Green; and Ken Krawchuck, Libertarian. Each has a partner candidate for lieutenant governor.

How did the Greens and Libertarians become listed on the ballot?

They drew more than 2 percent of the winning candidates’ votes in the 2016 Presidential election, that is how.

But if they don’t do that again next month, they won’t be on the 2020 presidential ballot.

“Unless the Green and Libertarian parties qualify in this year’s election, they will not have that status for the 2020 election,” according to Wanda Murren of the state Bureau of Elections.

That highlights my dilemma:

¯ Do I vote Libertarian, helping my chosen political party to be better positioned in 2020?

¯ Do I forsake my political party and vote to put either a Democrat or a Republican into those important office? Actually, I might do that by voting Democrat to keep a Republican bozo out, or vote Republican to keep a Democrat bozo out?

Like many Americans, I have come to believe that there is not a dime’s worth of difference among incumbent political officeholders based on party. Their overriding goal is to get re-elected, not to do what good they can during their current terms and let the voters decide about keeping them on. So, Republican or Democrat, we get the same lousy governance we have had, with increasing state and federal debt, increasing taxes, lousy laws and a country sliding toward Third World status.

That is my opinion.

If I am not to be a hypocrite, then, I ought to vote Libertarian on Nov. 6.

But if I vote for Libertarians who cannot win, am I helping bozos, Republican or Democrat, to get or keep political power?

Yes.

If I vote Republican or Democrat, am I keeping the same old system in place, the system that prompted me in disgust to register as a Libertarian?

Yes.

Libertarians are not alone here.

Those of us who fall within that 1,851 independent or non-partisan registration category also face similar agonizing choices: Principle or practicality?

So do the 1,600 adherents to political parties that are neither Republican nor Democratic.

What will I do on Nov. 6?

What will you do on Nov. 6?

I probably won’t know for sure until Nov. 6, when I go to vote.

How about you?

¯¯¯

Denny Bonavita is a former editor at newspapers in DuBois and Warren. He lives near Brookville. Email: denny2319@windstream.net