Wisconsin 'Uninstructed' Vote Shows Democratic Frustration With Joe Biden

More than 8% of Wisconsin Democrats voted “uninstructed” in the state’s primary Tuesday, in an effort to warn President Joe Biden that he is alienating voters in a state where he narrowly won against former President Donald Trump in 2020.

The “uninstructed” votes tallied more than 47,000 ― over twice the initial goal set by Listen To Wisconsin, the grassroots campaign that mobilized people to send a message with their vote demanding a policy change over the war in Gaza. As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 95% of primary votes had been counted. Biden secured Wisconsin in 2020 by a little over 20,000 votes.

Kyle Johnson, the political director for the state’s uninstructed campaign, told HuffPost that the turnout was partly a result of the campaign’s outreach ― they made more than half a million calls and sent 2 million texts over three weeks ― and partly because the message resonated so widely with voters.

“This is a sign. This is a mandate for Biden to take action,” Johnson said. “I don’t know how [the White House] can continue to overlook this broad band of folks who’ve come together to say [the war] has to stop.”

Similar protest votes across the country, especially in Michigan and Minnesota, have also surpassed expectations. In Michigan, more than 13% of the state’s Democratic voters voted “uncommitted,” while in Minnesota, a shocking 20% of Democratic voters cast their ballots for “uncommitted” ― over twice the number who voted for Rep. Dean Phillips (D), challenging Biden for the 2024 presidential nomination, in his home state.

At least 26 delegates from the “uncommitted” movement will be at the Democratic convention in August, including from Michigan, Minnesota, Hawaii and Rhode Island . Wisconsin’s