The Logic of Protest

If you haven't already, be sure to hit your local polls before the day is through. I'll be taking Microkhan Jr. into the voting booth this afternoon, and I'll let him pull the lever at the end (though he won't actually get to make any ballot selections).

For the umpteenth time since I turned 18, I will once again be voting in a state and district where there's not a single close contest. New York's gubernatorial race was decided long ago, and the odds of my 20-term congressman getting ousted are between nil and zero. As a result, I'm seriously considering casting a couple of protest votes this time, opting for third-party candidates whose entire campaigns are basically just exercises in futility. But I keep on asking myself, What's the logic in protest voting? I have no expectation that any third-party candidates will garner enough votes to nudge the victors' behavior. And I fear that most of these candidates have ulterior motives for running—namely to heighten public awareness of their personal brands, with an eye toward cashing in once the election season is over.

I'd be curious to hear from the Horde: Have you ever cast a protest vote? If so, why? And if not, do you believe that protest voting is deeply illogical, and a waste of one's democratic rights?