President Biden is the only major candidate on the ballot for the Democratic presidential nomination in Michigan on Tuesday, but that doesn’t mean he’s unchallenged. An effort to vote “uncommitted” by the state’s large Arab-American population could send a strong signal for Biden’s reelection campaign.
The push is meant to serve as a “protest vote” over the administration’s actions surrounding the war in Gaza, and has gradually gained steam over the past few weeks.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) said she was “conflicted” over the push to vote uncommitted instead of voting for Biden.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), meanwhile, said she was “proud” to vote “uncommitted” in a protest vote against Biden.
In Michigan, an “uncommitted” choice on primary ballots means a constituent is voting for the political party in question, but isn’t committing to any of the candidates listed on the ballot, according to the secretary of state’s rules.
Biden, who supports a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict in the region, most recently said he’s hoping for a ceasefire by next week.
But Michigan has a large population that’s sympathetic to the plight of Palestinians, who have suffered bombings in Gaza for the past four months.
More than one million voters cast absentee or early ballots ahead of Tuesday, according to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
Polls are open until 8 p.m. local time. Eligible residents are allowed to register to vote on Election Day in the state.
