Elon Musk, the America Party, and election reform
Photos from the New York Times and Space.com
Following a public break with President Trump and informal polls on X, Elon Musk announced the launch of a new political party – the “America Party” – on July 5. Musk isn’t the first to offer an alternative for voters seeking choices outside of the two major parties, and he likely won’t be the last. But until ranked choice voting (RCV) becomes the norm in U.S. elections, third parties will continue to be perceived as “spoilers” and struggle to break through as viable, lasting options for voters.
The “spoiler” problem
Elon Musk conducted straw polls on X in June and July, asking his followers whether he should create a third party; large majorities voted in favor each time. The America Party does not have a formal platform or organizational structure yet, but on X, Musk hinted that the party will focus on fiscal responsibility and advancing technology, among other priorities.
Third parties like Musk’s pop up from time to time, and sometimes attract a sizable number of voters. Americans certainly have an appetite for more options; according to Gallup, 58% support the creation of a third major party. However, there’s a reason third parties typically struggle to gain longstanding traction.
Third parties are often labeled as “spoilers” because they do not attract enough votes to win office, but draw votes from the major party closest to them ideologically. For this reason, major parties discourage voters from voting for third parties, and often do everything they can – including massive legal and PR campaigns – to keep third-party candidates off the ballot. Almost immediately after Musk announced the America Party, commentators began speculating about its potential to play spoiler:
Against the backdrop of a Musk-led party’s playing ‘spoiler’ in a way that hurts Republicans, it’s no surprise that Trump is unloading on him.
– The NBC Politics Desk
These efforts would almost certainly face intense pushback from the Democratic and Republican parties, including legal challenges over signatures in each state.
– Joe Walsh for CBS News
As with any new party, there’s fresh speculation about what the platform and party apparatus will look like, and whether Musk can generate sufficient support for the party to win seats. But the same spoiler problem surfaces every time a third party enters the conversation. Fortunately, improving the way we vote can ensure new parties are judged on their ideas, not just on the risk they pose to the major parties.
Ranked choice voting is the solution – and proportional representation would have even greater impact
Take ranked choice voting, for example. With RCV, voters can rank their favorite candidate first. If that candidate can’t win, the voter’s ballot counts for a backup choice – instead of accidentally helping their least favorite candidate win.
Alaska and Maine already use RCV; voters there don’t have to choose the “lesser of two evils,” or worry about wasting their vote. If they rank a candidate from a small party first, they can still express their preference between Democratic and Republican candidates as a second or third choice. Major parties have an incentive to respond to the issues that third-party candidates and their supporters care about to earn those voters’ backup-choice support – rather than writing them off entirely.
Proportional RCV – a form of proportional representation – would further empower third parties and their supporters. By electing legislators in proportion to the share of votes a group receives, third parties wouldn’t just avoid the spoiler label – they would have an increased path to winning seats.
If more states reform their elections, we can escape the spoiler problem for good. With RCV and proportional representation, new parties would not be seen just as political liabilities – they could seize opportunities to make their case, voters would get more choice, and we’d get the most representative outcomes.