By Aaron Navarro
Minneapolis, Minnesota — An option to cast a protest vote against President Biden and his response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza is on the ballot in at least seven Super Tuesday states.
While the option, known as the “uncommitted” vote, saw success last week in Michigan with over 101,000 ballots cast, it’s not expected to beat Mr. Biden in any state or come close.
But the extent of the uncommitted vote on Tuesday’s elections will serve as a way to measure the discontent over Mr. Biden’s foreign policy, especially among Arab American voters and younger, progressive voters.
Which states have the “uncommitted” vote?
Organizers with “Listen to Michigan,” a group that led the campaign for the uncommitted vote in Michigan’s Democratic primary and has been helping efforts in other states, noted Minnesota and Massachusetts as states with protest votes to watch.
The uncommitted vote is also on the Democratic ballot in Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, North Carolina and Tennessee.
The specific ballot language for the uncommitted vote varies: Minnesota voters have the “uncommitted” vote option on their primary ballots, Colorado has a “non-committed delegate” option, while Massachusetts and North Carolina have a “no preference” option.
In Virginia, voters looking to cast a protest vote are asked to vote for Marianne Williamson, the Democratic longshot challenger to Mr. Biden.
After Super Tuesday, there are campaigns for the uncommitted vote in Georgia and Washington, which have primaries on March 12.
What’s the purpose of voting “uncommitted”?
Voters don’t have to cite why they’re voting “uncommitted,” but this cycle, the option is being used to cast a protest vote against Mr. Biden’s continued aid for Israel’s military response in Gaza. Organizers have pressed the president to call for a permanent mutual cease-fire, more direct U.S. humanitarian aid into Gaza and the end of “unconditional weapons funding of Israel,” Listen to Michigan said on its website.
“These uncommitted campaigns give us a clear, direct, tangible way to demonstrate the size and strength of our movement,” said Wamiq Chowdhury, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America in North Carolina, during an organizing call last week. “It puts our demands in terms that the political establishment can understand.”
What’s been the response from the Biden’s administration and campaign?
During remarks in Selma, Alabama, on Sunday, Vice President Kamala Harris called for an immediate six-week cease-fire to the fighting in Gaza, as well as for Israel to do more to increase the flow of aid into the territory.
“Hamas claims it wants a cease-fire. Well, there is a deal on the table. And as we have said, Hamas needs to agree to that deal,” Harris said. “Let’s get a cease-fire. Let’s reunite the hostages with their families. And let’s provide immediate relief to the people of Gaza.”
Groups pushing for the uncommitted option had a lukewarm reaction to Harris’ remarks, with some noting it was a “tone shift,” but calling on Mr. Biden to press harder for a permanent cease-fire.
“This six-week temporary ceasefire says you are only worthy of some semblance of my humanity. And that’s not enough for me,” said Asma Mohammed, a spokesperson for Uncommitted MN.
Mr. Biden’s campaign said the president is continuing to listen to organizers and that they have a shared goal with organizers of a lasting peace. The campaign also argued the high turnout Mr. Biden got in Michigan, over 623,000 votes when there was no major contested election on the ballot, is a bright spot for the incumbent president’s support.
Does this mean these voters won’t vote for President Biden in November?
It’s not clear if uncommitted voters will support Mr. Biden or choose to stay home, support a different candidate or only vote down ballot in November. Some supporters of the effort argue it’s a way to signal to Mr. Biden to change his policies before November.
But the protest could extend into the general election. A Michigan exit poll by the Council on American-Islamic Relations and its Michigan chapter (CAIR-Michigan) found that 40% of Muslim Americans who voted in the primary say they’d vote for a third-party candidate in the general election.
“This is another reminder again, his legacy should not be as ‘genocide Joe.’ I don’t think anyone wants to leave their presidency with that legacy,” Mohammed said.
“The president can change the course of this by changing his policy… there are people who would rally around him in November,” she added.
CBS
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