Watch: Williamsburg 20-Something Explains Why He Voted Independent

WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN — One of the biggest mysteries to the pro-Clinton or pro-Trump voter throughout the 2016 election cycle, and especially in its shocking aftermath, was how anyone, given the apocalyptic stakes of this election, could vote for a third-party candidate.

Good news: We found one of these young rebels in the wild on Election Day — in the streets of Williamsburg, of course.

Dan LaDue, 27, a video producer from Montana who relocated to Brooklyn three-and-a-half years ago, is a political independent who said he was unimpressed with both the Democratic and Republican candidates in this election cycle.

"I think this election has been one of the most frustrating things I've ever seen," LaDue said. "Neither candidate aligns with my ideals."

So LaDue turned to America's third parties in pursuit of a candidate worthy of his vote. When we spoke with him on Election Day, he didn't say which third-party candidate he'd chosen, but said he thought his decision to vote outside the mainstream was the most important choice he'd made during the election.

LaDue said he thought that "if Gary Johnson or Jill Stein had had their platforms voiced more in the national spotlight, more people would have voted for them."

Like many third-party faithfuls, LaDue said he hoped that his vote would help such parties cross the five percent threshold needed for them to receive federal funding — an advantage that Republicans and Democrats are not eager to share.

"I want options next time," LaDue said of the 2020 election.

Video and main image by Jason Nuckolls