An organization in Michigan has campaigned in an effort to make a statement to President Joe Biden about his response to the crisis in Gaza with Michigan’s recent presidential primary.
Gaining over 100,000 "uncommitted" votes across Michigan, the effort saw its highest results in Washtenaw County and Wayne County. According to the Michigan Secretary of State, "uncommitted" earned 13.3% of the total vote in this year’s primary. But, in Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor, the totals were much higher, with 30% of Ypsilanti voters choosing "uncommitted" and 21% of Ann Arbor voters doing the same.
Listen to Michigan, formed just weeks before Michigan’s primary election, called on voters to select "uncommitted" on their democratic ballots.
Some Michigan elected officials endorsed the move to vote uncommitted, including House Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-12) and Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud. Both gained national attention for their criticism of the Biden Administration, with Tlaib being censured in the House of Representatives for her comments on Israel and Hammoud receiving backlash after an opinion piece was published criticizing the city of Dearborn.
Layla Elabed, campaign manager for Listen to Michigan, encouraged anyone going to the Democratic primary to vote uncommitted for the sake of Palestinian lives and a cease-fire in Gaza.
“If you believe in humanity, if you want a cease-fire, if you believe in saving human life, if you believe Palestinian life is valuable, then use this opportunity, do not sit at home,” Elabed said. “Go out on February 27 … and send that message to Biden that we need a permanent cease-fire right now.”
Now that the primary is over, Listen to Michigan aims to continue the pressure on the Biden Administration to take action in Gaza.
On March 2, American and Jordanian forces delivered humanitarian aid to Gaza, and on March 3, Vice President Kamala Harris called for an “immediate cease-fire in Gaza for the next six weeks.”
