If you buy in to Lenin's philosophy, voting for a (non-electoralist) communist party is good because they can direct the support into other outlets which can actually do good (mutual aid, dual power, general propogandizing)

Voting in and of itself does nothing. At least as far as the presidential vote matters. Comrades should still be actively engaged in workers' parties, and should still vote in local elections to ensure that the best candidates get elected.

But voting for a communist in the presidential election is nothing more than a moral victory, they'd never let a communist win. They won't normally even put a communist on the ballot. If you want to go to your local voting booth in 2024 and write in Cornel West (or what have you) you're more than empowered to do so. But the two-headed party will still win.

The only way we're exacting any kind of meaningful change under the current system is through strikes and the whatnot. Otherwise, it's a waste of time. Not to come across as pessimistic, of course. If a communist was to get enough votes that MSM was forced to mention them, that would go a long way in bringing attention to our stances and bring some legitimacy to our parties. Of course, that would come with a lot of slander, and if McCarthy-era rhetoric ramps up, anyone who voted for the communist would be at risk of arrest. But the average liberal would be more aware of far-left parties, which I guess is a good thing.