In 2016, everyone who voted 3rd party got Trump, the candidate they wanted the least.
In 2020, everyone who voted 3rd party was either going to get Biden, (the candidate they are moderately aligned with), or Trump, the candidate they were least aligned with.
In both cases, people who voted 3rd party made their chances worse. If you want more parties, the laws needs to change first, or else you're just wasting your vote and giving it to conservatives, who benefit from your 3rd party vote the most. You may not like it, but you are playing for Conservatives in the political game, and that goes for people who don't vote too.
Why bother voting at all? What difference does your non-Democrat, non-Republican vote make? If you really feel the need to be self-righteous about it, save yourself the energy, stay home, and just tell people you voted for Cornel West or whoever. They'll never know otherwise.
you will forgive me if I don't believe you are "just asking questions". it feels like sealioning to me. and I read the repetition and demand for an answer as petulance.
And I read your refusal to answer such a simple question as proving you can't actually back up your reason for voting at all. But sure, personal attacks might convince everyone that your avoidance of the question is actually proof of your righteousness. Let's see how that goes.