Why people are voting ‘uncommitted’ over Biden in Michigan’s primary

Democratic organisers in Michigan are urging residents to consider entering an “uncommitted” vote in Tuesday’s primary in response to the White House’s handling of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The movement, coordinated by groups including Listen To Michigan, says that their pleas for the Biden administration to do more to end the devastation in Gaza has “fallen on deaf ears”.

“Frustrated with the lack of response, we are now turning to a more traditional method of democratic expression: our voting power,” the group’s website reads.

Here’s what you need to know:

Michigan is among a handful of states that have an “uncommitted” option on their presidential primary ballots.

The act of entering an “uncommitted” is not intended to be seen as an act of endorsing alternatives, including Donald Trump or a Republican candidate, but rather to question whether the incumbent holds the support of his own party’s base.

Since the attack by Hamas militants on 7 October 2023, the Biden administration has offered mostly consistent support for Israel, despite the ongoing and increasing number of casualties in Gaza.

The United States has vetoed United Nations Security Council resolutions calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza three times.

According to the territory’s Hamas-controlled Health Ministry, since the start of the conflict, more than 29,000 Palestinians, two-thirds of which are women and children, have died.

Organisers say that the movement is a response to the Biden adminstration’s lack of action in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East

Listen To Michigan says pleas to de-escalate the conflict have been ignored. Many in the Detroit and Dearborn areas of the state have been “acutely” affected by the conflict.

“The