The staggering number of protest votes against Biden in the primaries is revealed in another warning sign for the 2024 election
- More than half a million voters chose 'uncommitted' over Biden in primaries
- READ MORE: Thousands vote uncommitted in key battleground state
More than half a million voters in the Democratic presidential primaries have voted 'uncommitted' rather than cast ballots for President Biden in a move that sets of alarms for the president ahead of what is expected to be an extremely close general election.
The movement to get Democrats to vote 'uncommitted' will send at least 36 'uncommitted' delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August from nine states so far, according to tracking by the Associated Press.
On Tuesday, New Jersey voters chose to send one uncommitted delegate to the convention from their primary. More than 42,000 voters in the Democratic contest opted to vote 'uncommitted' over Biden.
In New Mexico, another nearly 13,000 voted uncommitted this week.
Tuesday's primaries were the latest where a number of Democratic contests where voters have signaled dissatisfaction with the incumbent president.
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden arriving in Paris on June 6. On Tuesday, voters in New Jersey chose to send one 'uncommitted' delegate to the convention as the president continues to face a protest vote from some Democrats
The largest group of 'uncommitted' delegates headed to the convention is from Minnesota with eleven. More than 45,000 voters there voted uncommitted.
Kentucky is also sending eight uncommitted voters to the convention. More than 32,000 voters in the state cast ballots for 'uncommitted.'
Thousands of Democratic voters are angry over President Biden's support for Israel as it continues to wage war in Gaza in response to the terror attack by Hamas on October 7.
The conflict has put Biden in a tough political position. The president has supported additional aid for Israel, a close U.S. ally, but has also been critical of conservative Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a TIME interview released earlier this week, Biden said there is 'every reason' to think Netanyahu is prolonging the war for political gains.
Last week, the president called on Hamas to take a deal from Israel. He said 'it's time for the war to end.'
People gather at the 'uncommitted' watch party in Minnesota. The state is sending 11 'uncommitted' delegates to the Democratic National Convention in August, the most of any state so far
36 uncommitted Democratic delegates are headed to the convention in Chicago in August
But Biden's efforts have not been enough to sway some of the party base, especially young people who have turned out to protest the war in Gaza on college campuses across the country.
The 'uncommitted' movement really began to pick up steam back in late February when more than 101,000 voters in the battleground state of Michigan cast ballots for 'uncommitted' instead of Biden.
The president won the state in the 2020 general election by just over 154,000 votes against Donald Trump.
While the uncommitted vote is a cause for concern for Biden if he is unable to bring some Democrats back into the fold by November, his opponent Trump has his own flashing warning signs.
Some Republicans have rejected him in the GOP primaries despite there being no other candidate in the race and Trump having clinched the necessary delegates months ago.
Donald Trump in Phoenix, Arizona on June 6. The ex-president has faced some opposition from GOP Nikki Haley voters who cast ballots for her in primaries even after she left the race
Former GOP candidate Nikki Haley continues to receive thousands of votes in the Republican primaries despite having dropped out of the race in early March.
She said late last month she would vote for Trump after withholding an endorsement since her exit from the race.
Despite that, she received more than 8,000 votes in the New Mexico primary on Tuesday, or. 8.6 percent.
In Montana, more than 16,000 voted 'no preference' rather than for Trump. Last month, more than 120,000 voters in the GOP Indiana primary voted for her.
Trump has faced challenges in battleground states as well.
More than 155,000 voters in Pennsylvania, 77,000 voters in Georgia, 110,000 voters in Arizona and 155,000 voters in Florida and 161,000 voters in Ohio, and 76,000 voters in Wisconsin all cast ballots for Haley in the the Republican primaries despite her already having exited the race.
It is not yet clear whether Trump's felony convictions will have a further impact on his standing within the party, though he has seen a surge in donations since the verdict and party officials have rallied behind him.
