# The Logic of Voting for a Lesser Evil – and Other Writings on the Ethics of Voting

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-logic-of-voting-for-a-lesser-evil-and-other-writings-on-the-ethics-of-voting/
- Published: 2026-11-03T04:25:07+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-04T10:57:19+00:00
- Original publisher: Reason
- Original article: https://reason.com/volokh/2026/11/02/the-logic-of-voting-for-a-lesser-evil-and-other-writings-on-the-ethics-of-voting/
- Topics: Elections, Politics

## Key points

- The post gathers writing on the moral choices voters face.
- It argues a flawed candidate may be preferable to a worse alternative.
- It also considers whether voting is a moral duty.

## Summary

The article is a collection of links to the author’s earlier writing on the ethics of voting, prompted by an election in which many viable candidates are considered poor choices. It explores whether people have a duty to vote, whether supporting a flawed candidate can be justified when the alternative is worse, and how voters might weigh competing issues.

One featured argument says voting for the lesser evil can be morally permissible and desirable when the realistic alternatives are worse. The author challenges objections based on complicity, protest votes for candidates with no chance of winning, and the low likelihood of one vote deciding an election. The article says it does not recommend a particular candidate and notes that its collection is largely adapted from a similar post in 2024.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.