Defender’s Key Takeaways:
Shift in Voting Systems: Kansas and Missouri change their primary voting approaches in 2024, with Kansas hosting a state-run presidential preference primary and Missouri opting for caucus-voting.
Uncommitted Votes as Protest: The surge in “uncommitted” votes is seen as a powerful rebuke against the imperialist agendas of current political leaders, especially critiquing Biden’s role within the genocide in Gaza.
Impact on Future Elections: The growing support for “uncommitted” votes could influence the political landscape, potentially affecting the Democratic party’s success in the 2024 general election by alienating voters critical of the U.S. stance on the genocide in Palestine.
It’s time to hit the polls as Kansas and Missouri hold primary presidential elections this week in March–but voters, extremely discontent with candidate options this year, are using the ballot as a form of protest.
Missouri and Kansas Flip Voting Systems This Year
On March 19, Kansas will hold a presidential preference primary. A presidential preference primary in Kansas is distinct from a caucus or regular primary in that the state manages the election.
This will be the state’s third time in history holding a presidential preference primary because, in 2023, the Kansas Legislature authorized the state-run Presidential Preference Primary. This had previously only been conducted in 1980 and 1992.
On the flip side, Missouri is switching to a caucus-voting system this year: meaning Missouri political parties will manage their own elections–a move made by a primarily Republican-state legislature, and one that also seems to be for the sake of saving the State “millions” of dollars in running the primary elections. While the Republican Party chose to hold in-person caucuses throughout the month of March, the Democratic Party will be running their own presidential preference primary election on March 23.
From 8 AM to noon on March 23, Missouri voters (as long as not registered with the Republican Party) can vote in person at any designated voting site. The 2024 Democratic presidential candidate options to appear on the ballot will be:
- Joseph R Biden, Jr
- Dean Phillips
- Stephen P Lyons
- Armando Perez-Serrato
- Marianne Williamson
- Jason Michael Palmer
- Uncommitted
Uncommitted Votes: A closer look at its impact on democracy
On primary ballots , voters have the option to cast a ballot without commiting to a specific candidate The way this option is presented can differ between states due to the specific ballot language, with choices such as an “uncommitted vote, no preference, or a noncommitted delegate.”
“Uncommitted votes” have gained worldwide attention during the Democratic presidential primaries in protest against President Joe Biden and his atrocities in the genocide on Gaza. Traction has been especially seen in Michigan, and in other states such as Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, Alabama, Tennessee, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Washington.
According to The Guardian, organizers with Vote Uncommitted WA have been working for two weeks to enhance voter outreach via phone, text, online and in-person connections. Their goal is to educate voters on the option to select “uncommitted delegates” on their primary ballots, sending a clear message of support for a permanent ceasefire to Biden.
Washington organizers initial inspiration stemmed from the significant turnout of uncommitted votes in Michigan, with over 100,000 votes. Through this, they have gained insight into effective methods for rapidly sharing from organizers in Michigan.
According to The Guardian, Rami Al-Kabra, a city council member in Bothell, Washington who has been helping Washington organize uncommitted voters said, “a “multiracial, multifaith, anti-war coalition” came together to push uncommitted votes in Washington.”
The Everett Daily Herald reported that Al-Kabra outlined a number of demands for the movement, which include an urgent call for a ceasefire, holding Israel to the standards of International Human Rights Convention, halting the sale of U.S. weaponry, advocating for Palestinian self-determination, and securing the release of hostages, encompassing both Israelis in Gaza and Palestinians.
Following the Michigan vote, vice-president Kamala Harris, expressed support for a temporary ceasefire lasting six-weeks.
Supporting an “uncommitted vote” in Kansas and Missouri
It is worth noting that the sample ballots of the Democratic and Republican parties in Kansas do not provide an option for uncommitted votes. However, in Missouri, there is an option available for those who wish to support uncommitted votes. This indicates that Missourians have a greater opportunity to express their support for uncommitted votes compared to Kansans. Interestingly, there hasn’t been much discussion about the presence of uncommitted votes in both states.
What does the uncommitted votes mean for November 2024’s General Election?
With voters already choosing “uncommitted,” the potential of a Democratic win is unlikely, according to NewNation. President Biden’s full-throated support for the genocide of Palestinians may potentially alienate masses of voters, leading them to abstain from voting in November. This could have an impact on blue states (Democratic states), potentially causing them to shift towards becoming red states (Republican states).
But radical organizers are fed up with malevolent candidates and a broken-system that pacifies, suppresses or completely ignores their “vote.”
@Jawanza on Twitter
More notably, some Americans are questioning the U.S.’s ties to Israel, and how America can stand for Democracy in our own states, yet actively destroy it in another country: “For decades, the United States has used its unparalleled military might and diplomatic muscle to ensure that Israel can deny millions of Palestinians the most basic rights – citizenship, due process, freedom of movement, the right to vote – with impunity.” (Peter Beinart, The Guardian). According to Adalah, there are approximately 65 laws Israeli laws discriminating against Palestinians on the basis of their national belonging–thus, infringing on basic rights like voting.
Our Reporter Lynnie Holl broke ground this past November on the ways states like Kansas and Missouri bar political freedoms, like the right to boycott, in support of Israel’s regime.
It’s clear that our local elections this year will produce some of the most complex, polarized discussions we’ve seen-to-date; and voters aren’t taking that lightly.
