Minneapolis, Minnesota —An option to protest President Biden and his handling of the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza is on the ballot in at least seven countries. super tuesday state.
This option, known as “non-committal” voting, was successful in Michigan last week with more than 101,000 votes cast, but Biden is not expected to win or come close to winning in any state. There is.
However, the range of uncommitted votes is Tuesday's election This will be a measure of dissatisfaction with Biden's foreign policy, especially among Arab American voters and young progressive voters.
Which states have “uncommitted” votes?
Organizers of Listen to Michigan, a group that led the no-vote campaign in Michigan's Democratic primary and have supported efforts in other states, say Minnesota and Massachusetts are hot spots for protest voting. State listed.
Uncommitted votes are also included on Democratic ballots in Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, North Carolina and Tennessee.
The specific voting language for uncommitted votes varies as follows: Minnesota voters Preliminary voting has a “non-commit” voting option; colorado There is a “non-commit delegate” option, Massachusetts and North Carolina have a “no preference” option.
In Virginia, voters planning to cast a protest vote are being asked to vote for Marianne Williamson, Biden's leading Democratic challenger.
rear super tuesdayGeorgia and Washington states, which will hold primaries on March 12, are campaigning for no-committal voting.
What is the purpose of voting “uncommitted”?
Voters do not have to give a reason for voting “irresponsible,” but the option is being used to protest Mr. Biden's continued support for Israel's military response in the Gaza Strip. Organizers pressed the president for a permanent mutual cease-fire, more direct U.S. humanitarian assistance to Gaza, and an end to “unconditional arms funding to Israel,” Listen to said.・Michigan stated on its website.
“This kind of dedication is a clear, direct, tangible demonstration of the scale and strength of our movement,” Wamic Chaudhry, a North Carolina member of the Democratic Socialists of America, said during last week’s launch conference call. It gives me a way,” he said. “It expresses our demands in terms that the political establishment can understand.”
What was the reaction from the Biden administration and campaign?
In a speech in Selma, Alabama, on Sunday, Vice President Kamala Harris called for an immediate six-week ceasefire In addition to influencing the fighting in Gaza, Israel needs to do more to increase aid flows to the region.
“Hamas claims it wants a ceasefire. Well, there is a deal on the table. And as we said, Hamas needs to agree to that deal,” Harris said. “Let's achieve a ceasefire. Let's reunite hostages with their families. And let's provide immediate relief to the people of Gaza.”
No-commitment alternative groups responded lukewarmly to Harris' comments, with some calling it a “change in tone” but urging Biden to press for a permanent ceasefire.
“This six-week truce shows that you all deserve just a fraction of my humanity. And that's not enough for me,” said a spokesperson for Uncommitted Minnesota. said Asma Mohammed.
Biden's campaign said the president continues to listen to the organizers and shares a common goal of lasting peace with them. The campaign also argued that Biden's high turnout in Michigan — more than 623,000 votes even though there were no major issues on the ballot — was a positive for the incumbent president.
Does this mean these voters won't vote for President Biden in November?
It's unclear whether committed voters will support Biden, stay home, support another candidate, or simply vote against the November ballot. Some supporters of the initiative say it's a way to signal Biden to change policy by November.
But the protests could spill over into the general election. According to a Michigan exit poll by the Council on American-Islamic Relations and its Michigan chapter (CAIR-Michigan), 40% of Muslim Americans who voted in the primary said they would vote for a third-party candidate in the general election. .
“This reminds me once again that his legacy should not be anything like 'Genocide Joe'. I don't think anyone would want to leave the presidency with that legacy intact,” Mohammed said. he said.
“The president can turn this around by changing policy…There are people who will rally around him in November,” she added.
