Americans should not turn to a third-party candidate to protest their disgust at this year's presidential election because it could result in "truly disastrous" consequences — the election of Donald Trump, says Jill Abramson, former executive editor of The New York Times.
"Voting is a sacred duty of U.S. citizenship and as such, the presidential contest is about one central question: in whose hands is the country most likely to prosper, be safe and come closest to the American promise of equal rights for all?" Abramson writes in Tuesday's Guardian newspaper.
"Many voters do want to support someone who most purely mirrors their ideals. They don't want to vote pragmatically or settle for the lesser of two evils. This is a real dilemma. But 2016 isn't the year for purity . . .
"With Trump on the ballot, the risk of unintentionally helping elect an unstable man who is clearly not prepared for the job is too big."