The effort to pressure the president over his support for Israel garnered a sizable share of the vote, despite being more hastily organized. Voters in other states also voiced unease.
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Hibak Mohamed voting “uncommitted” in Minneapolis on Tuesday.
The movement objecting to President Biden’s position on Israel by voting “uncommitted” drew a significant share of the vote on Tuesday in Minnesota despite having a hastily organized and low-budget campaign.
With more than 95 percent of ballots counted early Wednesday, “uncommitted” had earned 19 percent support, enough to send delegates to the Democratic National Convention. The number of protest votes in Minnesota, more than 45,000, suggested that dissatisfaction over Mr. Biden’s stance on the war in Gaza had spread beyond Muslim Americans to progressives and younger voters.
The state’s contest was just one of several across the nation on Super Tuesday in which Democrats registered unhappiness with the president.
In North Carolina, 12 percent of voters had cast ballots for “no preference” with more than 95 percent of the vote counted. In Massachusetts, “no preference” had earned 9 percent with nearly 80 percent of the vote in. Last week in Michigan, more than 101,000 people — 13 percent of voters — supported “uncommitted” in the Democratic primary, winning at least two delegates.
The Biden campaign, which has tried to downplay the significance of the “uncommitted” efforts, issued a statement early Wednesday about the Minnesota results.
“The president believes making your voice heard and participating in our democracy is fundamental to who we are as Americans,” said Lauren Hitt, a campaign spokeswoman. “He shares the goal for an end to the violence and a just, lasting peace in the Middle East. He’s working tirelessly to that end.”
Uncommitted votes in Minnesota’s Democratic primary were highest in areas with younger voters
Each dot is a precinct.
Note: Based on 81 percent of votes in.
Sources: Minnesota Secretary of State; L2; U.S. Census Bureau
By Alex Lemonides and Christine Zhang
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Source: nytimes.com
