Stickers are pictured during the primary election at Orchard Hill Church on Tuesday in Butler. Butler Eagle File Photo DME vote

Third-party candidates running in Butler County elections are optimistic voter frustration with the two major political parties will outweigh their skepticism toward voting for a third party.

“I feel like most people … are fed up with the ‘uniparty,’ so it’s really not that much of a big sell,” said Morgen Mogus, chairman of the Libertarian Party of Butler County.

Mogus is one of five Libertarian candidates, three independent candidates and one Green Party candidate running for Butler County’s borough councils, boards of supervisors and school boards.

Where third parties have historically been viewed in competitive races as “spoilers,” according to Green Party candidate Michael Bagdes-Canning, candidates this year want voters to be less skeptical of voting third party at the ballot box.

Mogus is running as a Libertarian for Karns City Area school board. He described himself as anti-politics in school and said he has seen activist candidates from both sides of the aisle attempt to “weaponize their worldview” in schools.

Mogus said the founding principles of Libertarianism include nonaggression, strong property rights and supporting what people want as long as it does not infringe upon the rights of others.

“The difference between the Libertarian Party and other parties … is we apply that logic to the government,” Mogus said.

Mogus said he would be a Libertarian watchdog on the school board for unfair contracts and rampant spending. He said most people have reacted favorably to voting third party when they hear his stances, but people often get skeptical at the ballot box and think they’re wasting a vote by voting third party.

In small communities like Cherry Valley, votes are precious when there’s only 45 registered voters, including only nine registered Democrats. Badges-Canning, running for Cherry Valley mayor, ran as a third-party candidate partially to circulate his candidacy petition to a larger base.

“There’s something wrong with a one-size-fits-all system that penalizes small communities like Cherry Valley,” Badges-Canning said.

He said for a candidate to get on the Republican and Democratic ballots, they need 10 signatures from voters in their party. Having nine Democrats in the borough makes it impossible for them and he said it’s also difficult to find 10 Republicans home when circulating petitions.

Badges-Canning said the reaction when he tells voters he’s a Green Party candidate depends on who he’s talking to. He said Democrats often look at him as a “spoiler” keeping votes from their candidate and Republicans often tell him how bad the left is.

Badges-Canning said he was a “disgruntled” Democrat for 42 years. He said he switched after feeling neither party represented his ideals and his disapproval of lobbying.

Badges-Canning said lobbying is an effort to influence legislative or administrative action, which he said sounds similar to bribery.

“Greens have foresworn taking any money from lobbyists or corporate packs,” Badges-Canning said.

Derek Scott, another Libertarian candidate running for Center Township supervisor and auditor, said his views revolve around private property rights and personal freedoms.

When explaining his platform, he said people are often more willing to hear him out as a candidate at the local level. He said he believes voters at the local level are fed up with seeing the same politicians in the same positions for so long.

“I think people want change and they’re not getting it from the two major parties, so they’re looking for another option,” Scott said.