More Than 100,000 Michigan Voters Cast ‘Uncommitted’ Ballots in Primary Over Biden’s Handling of Israel–Gaza War

President Joe Biden attends a meeting with Congressional leadership in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb. 27, 2024. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

More than 100,000 voters in the Michigan Democratic primary cast ballots for “uncommitted” instead of President Joe Biden on Feb. 27 because of his administration’s handling of the Israel–Hamas conflict, according to reports.

Roughly 13 percent of Michigan voters used a ballot line for “uncommitted” to register a protest vote against President Biden—making up around 100,995 of votes cast—with more than 98 percent of the estimated votes counted, according to results compiled by The Associated Press.

The president won the primary election with 81.1 percent of the vote, with the Associated Press calling the race in his favor immediately after the polls closed.

The votes followed a weeks-long push by Arab and Muslim community leaders behind the “Listen to Michigan“ campaign, which hoped to reach at least 10,000 ”uncommitted“ votes in the Democratic primary in an attempt to send a clear signal that some voters strongly reject President Biden’s ”funding war and genocide in Gaza.”

The “uncommitted” votes mean that while voters are placing a party vote, they don’t currently support any of the candidates listed.

In a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, the campaign–which is backed by state and local lawmakers, including Palestinian American Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.)–said its movement “emerged victorious tonight and massively surpassed our expectations.”

“Tens of thousands of Michigan Democrats, many of whom voted for Biden in 2020, are uncommitted to his re-election due to the war in Gaza,” the campaign stated.

It noted that people who voted for the president in 2020 “now feel completely betrayed.”

Voters Call for ‘Immediate, Permanent’ Ceasefire

“Count Michigan uncommitted for funding of war and genocide in Gaza,” the statement reads.

President Donald Trump won the state’s Republican primary, winning 68.2 percent of the votes to 26.6 percent for former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, with 98 percent of the votes counted, according to the Associated Press.

That marked his sixth straight victory and his largest yet.

President Biden won Michigan by a less than 3 percent margin in 2020, and some polls show likely Republican candidate President Trump ahead in a head-to-head matchup this time.

However, “Listen to Michigan” stressed that it doesn’t want President Trump back in the White House, before accusing President Biden of putting Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu “ahead of American democracy.”

“We cannot afford to pay the bill for disregarding Palestinian lives should it come due in November,” the statement reads. “The only way to achieve freedom and justice for Palestinians surviving a genocide is through an immediate and permanent cease-fire. The only way to ensure the safe return of all hostages and prisoners is through an immediate and permanent cease-fire.”

An Israeli soldier runs down a crater-like hole giving way to a tunnel entrance, leading to where the military discovered tunnels underneath the main headquarters of UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, in Gaza on Feb. 8, 2024. Ariel Schalit/AP Photo

Biden’s Hopes for Ceasefire Agreement

Michigan, a key swing state, is also home to a large Arab American population.

However, the conflict between Israel and Hamas has led to waning support of President Biden among some Democrat voters.

On Oct. 7, 2023, the Hamas terror group fired barrages of rockets and stormed into Israel from Gaza, killing 1,200 people, the vast majority of them civilians, and capturing 253 hostages. Israel’s response to Hamas, which controls Gaza, has led to nearly 30,000 people dead there, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry; the ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths.

Officials from the U.N. humanitarian office and the U.N.’s food and agriculture organizations have stated that about a quarter of Gaza’s population–some 576,000 people–is on the brink of famine.

The surge in “uncommitted” votes in the Democratic primary in Michigan suggests that President Biden may have cause for concern in his bid to win the swing state in November.

Still, earlier this week, President Biden said he hopes a ceasefire in Gaza can be reached by next week as his administration works to secure a six-week pause in the conflict to allow humanitarian aid before the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

“My national security adviser tells me that we’re close, we’re close, we’re not done yet,” President Biden told reporters at an ice cream shop in New York on Feb. 26. “My hope is by next Monday, we'll have a ceasefire.”

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.