Tens of thousands of Super Tuesday voters sent a message to President Biden, after they chose to mark “uncommitted” on their ballots over voting for him.
With 99% of the expected votes counted in Minnesota, nearly 1 in 3 voters backed someone other than the president, with nearly 46,000 voters, or nearly 19% of Democrats, marking their ballots “uncommitted,” or willfully deciding not to back any named candidate, to protest his support for Israel.
The sizable protest vote in Minnesota extended to six other states — Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Tennessee — where tens of thousands of voters also refused to support Biden, undoubtedly raising questions for his re-election campaign.
The votes come just a week after Arab American and Muslim community leaders in Michigan, home to one of the largest Muslim communities in the U.S., urged voters not to support Biden.
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Progressive groups have backed the “uncommitted” vote to protest Biden’s support for Israel and its continued war against the Hamas terror group in Gaza, which has resulted in millions of Palestinians becoming displaced from their homes and the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians.
The “uncommitted” option appeared on the Democratic ballot in six other Super Tuesday states, and each took a chunk of support away from the president.
In Alabama, over 11,000 voters, or roughly 6%, voted for “uncommitted.” The option collected the second-most votes in the state.
In Colorado, over 43,000 voters, or roughly 8% of the vote, marked “Noncommitted Delegate” on the ballot.
In Iowa, 4% of the total vote backed “Uncommitted.”
In Massachusetts, over 54,000 voters, or just under 10%, backed “No Preference.”
In North Carolina, a whopping 88,000 voters, or nearly 13%, backed “No Preference.”
Finally, in Tennessee, approximately 10,450 voters, or nearly 8%, voted “Uncommitted.”
In these states, the non-declared option was usually the second most chosen, earning more than Democratic presidential candidates Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson.
The vote is a message for Biden and one that could cause his campaign to reassess ahead of the 2024 general election, where the president is expected to face former President Trump, a voter said.
“That is a powerful way to send the administration a message,” Christian Peterson, 22, a law student at the University of Minnesota, told Reuters. “Biden needs to stop sending military aid to Israel.”
Both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have defended Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s right to defend itself but, facing internal pressure, have called for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
The Israeli military invaded Gaza after Hamas-led forces carried out the deadliest terror attack in Israel’s history as a country. The ensuing conflict has created a humanitarian disaster and has resulted in the deaths of over 30,000 Palestinian people, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7 left more than 1,200 Israelis dead, according to Israel.
Reuters contributed to this report.
