Uncommitted Vote Shatters Expectations in Super Tuesday

Super Tuesday’s Democratic presidential primary on the surface went well for Joe Biden, as he was able to pick up the delegates from all 16 states.

But in seven states, voters had the option of selecting an “uncommitted” or “no preference” option instead of voting for Biden, Marianne Williamson, or Dean Phillips—and the results shattered expectations.

In six of the seven states, the “uncommitted” or “no preference” option received 6 percent or more of the vote, which could translate to deciding votes in November’s tightly contested election. In Minnesota, 15.7 percent of Democratic voters chose to vote “uncommitted” rather than back the president. And in North Carolina, a key state in 2024, nearly 12 percent of voters also showed up to the polls and chose to vote “uncommitted” instead.

The “uncommitted” vote is picking up steam in large part thanks to organizers urging the president to reverse his support for Israel’s relentless bombing of Gaza and call for an immediate cease-fire. In Michigan, the effort resulted in more than 100,000 votes for “uncommitted,” or about 13 percent of the vote, a significant margin in a state that Biden only won by 154,000 votes in 2020.

Meanwhile, also on Super Tuesday, in the territory of American Samoa, Jason Palmer, who wasn’t even on many state ballots, won with 51 votes out of the 91 votes cast. Palmer called for a cease-fire in Gaza and withholding military aid to Israel in a video posted to X (formerly Twitter) in February.

Although Vice President Kamala Harris called for a temporary cease-fire on Sunday, Biden’s policy toward Israel’s attacks on Gaza hasn’t changed on the ground, with Israel’s bombing campaign continuing unabated. And Trump’s most recent comments signal staunch support for Israel, with the former president answering Fox & Friends about whether he approved of Israel’s actions with “You’ve got to finish the problem.”