2. should voters support a third party that has no chance of winning? or should they vote for the major party candidate they dislike less? how might one reconcile her decision to support a third-party candidate in our two-party system?

Here is some information to help you answer this question:

Reasons to vote for a 3rd party candidate
1) The person represents your views on society.
2) Show your displeasure with the two-party system. This is a powerful message to political officials. If thousands of individuals who feel left out of both the Democratic and Republican party vote for a third party candidate, it will shift the way politicians approach third-party candidates.

Reason why it would be considered a "waste"
If a third-party candidate has no chance of winning, some would consider it a waste. This is due to the fact that your vote could have been used to support a candidate with somewhat similar views who actually had a chance at winning.