Politics

Biden’s Super Tuesday Victories Marred By Protest Votes

President Joe Biden meets with senior advisers to discuss the possible UAW strike, Wednesday, September 6, 2023, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

President Joe Biden’s wins on Super Tuesday were spoiled by what appear to be protest votes across several states, as significant portions of the Democratic primary electorate backed nameless ballot options.

Groups like Listen To Michigan and Abandon Biden encouraged Super Tuesday voters to support “uncommitted” and other nameless ballot options in protest to Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of Democratic primary voters in Minnesota, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Colorado, Tennessee and Alabama backed the various options, according to The Associated Press.

Most notably, 19% voted “uncommitted” in Minnesota‘s Democratic contest, the AP projected. The ballot option also brought in 8% support in Tennessee and 6% of the share in Alabama.

In North Carolina, 12.7% backed the “no preference” ballot option, as well as 9% in Massachusetts, according to the AP. The “noncommitted delegate” ballot option received 8% of the vote in Colorado.

The president previously faced a protest vote in Michigan, which is home to one of the country’s largest Arab and Muslim American populations. Over 100,000 Democratic primary voters supported the “uncommitted” ballot option on Feb. 27 after Listen To Michigan’s efforts, as well as Abandon Biden encouraging voters to support anyone but the president.

North Carolina, let’s vote “No Preference” this Tuesday. #AbandonBiden24 #SuperTuesday #AbandonBiden #NoPreferenceNC #NoPreferenceYall #NorthCarolina #NorthCarolinaPrimary pic.twitter.com/SYlS1DbYln

— Abandonbiden (@Abandonbiden24) March 2, 2024

Listen To Michigan is focused on sending a message to the Biden administration ahead of the general election to drive policy changes, and is engaging with activists across the country to organize similar campaigns. Conversely, Abandon Biden is encouraging voters to oppose the president in the primary and general election with the goal of preventing him from securing a second term.

Biden also secured victories in Virginia, Vermont, Iowa, Oklahoma, Maine, Arkansas, Texas, Utah and California on Super Tuesday, the AP projected. The president lost the American Samoa Democratic caucus to a little-known candidate, Jason Palmer, according to NBC News.

Former President Donald Trump all but captured the Republican nomination Tuesday evening, when he won nearly every state. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley secured only her second win of the 2024 cycle with a victory in the blue state of Vermont.

Haley, who won the Washington, D.C., primary on Sunday, is set to suspend her presidential campaign during a speech in Charleston, South Carolina, Wednesday morning, according to multiple outlets.

Biden’s campaign did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.