Voting initiative urges Democrats to cast ‘uncommitted’ write-in votes • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

The Democratic Socialists of America launched an initiative Monday urging Pennsylvania Democratic voters to write in “uncommitted” on their primary ballots, to protest President Joe Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza.

“Writing in ‘Uncommitted’ will let the Democratic Party and general public know what’s at stake and how many voters they’re losing over their unwavering position on the genocide in Gaza,” according to an FAQ section on the UncommittedPA website. “This will pressure the Biden administration to reconsider their position and call for a ceasefire.”

The effort was “inspired” by the Listen to Michigan campaign in that swing state, according to the website, where more than 100,000 Democratic presidential primary voters — about 13% — chose “uncommitted” on their ballots as part of an organized protest. Biden easily won Michigan’s Democratic primary with 81% of the vote, and both he and presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump have already clinched their parties’ nominations.

Voting “uncommitted” on a primary ballot in Pennsylvania is not an option as it is in Michigan and other states, but the UncommittedPA group says it is coordinating with Pennsylvania’s counties to inform them of the campaign and get any “uncommitted” write-in votes counted.

To vote in a primary election in Pennsylvania, voters have to be registered as either a Democrat or Republican; independent or unaffiliated voters aren’t eligible to vote in the primary. UncommittedPA says Republican voters can also write in “uncommitted” on their primary ballots  if they want to join the protest. 

A press release from UncommittedPA says it is aiming to get more than 40,000 write-in votes for “uncommitted” across the state. It says its supporters include “a coalition of individuals and organizations across Pennsylvania” but did not immediately reply to a request for comment Monday seeking more details on who the groups are. 

“The President believes making your voice heard and participating in our democracy is fundamental to who we are as Americans,” the Biden campaign said in a statement Monday. “He shares the goal for an end to the violence and a just, lasting peace in the Middle East.  He’s working tirelessly to that end.”

UncommittedPA includes “won’t this help Trump win” among its FAQ. “We refuse to believe that we must choose the lesser of two evils, especially without any accountability or pressure to do what is morally right,” the website states. 

Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairman and state Sen. Sharif Street (D-Philadelphia), who is Muslim, said in a statement that he would be supporting Biden. “As a Muslim-American, I know that President Biden has my back and will fight for our community,” Street said. “While Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans threaten our way of life, President Biden has stood up to protect our reproductive rights, economic opportunity, and democracy.”

Beyond Michigan, the “uncommitted” protest effort has had limited success in the other states that have held primaries so far this year, although they have mostly exceeded their own expectations. With an endorsement from a major labor union, “uncommitted” received  just over 89,000 votes, or 9.8% of  the total votes for Democrats in Washington State’s primary, and in Georgia, a related “Leave it Blank” protest only claimed about 6,000 votes, or 2.2% of Democratic ballots.

The deadline to register to vote in Pennsylvania’s April 23 primary is April 8. The deadline to apply for an absentee or mail-in ballot is April 16.

Update: This article was updated March 25, 2024 at 7 p.m. with additional details and comment from the Biden campaign and Sen. Sharif Street.

Originally published at penncapital-star.com,by Kim Lyons