Arab, Muslim organisers praise 'uncommitted' protest vote for Gaza in Michigan primary

Arab and Muslim advocacy leaders and groups are praising the high turnout of "uncommitted" voters in Michigan's presidential primary this week.

On Tuesday, more than 100,000 Michiganders, or more than 13 per cent, chose "uncommitted" on the Democratic ballot over incumbent presidential candidate Joe Biden (this was in addition to more than 33,000 "uncommitted" Republican votes). The "uncommitted" Democratic votes won two delegates, meaning they could potentially have official representation at the Democratic National Convention in August. 

This followed high-profile Arab and Muslim-led campaigns, notably "Listen to Michigan", supported by dozens of state and local politicians, urging a protest vote against Biden for his support for Israel's war on Gaza, which has caused more than 100,000 Palestinian casualties, including 30,000 deaths, mainly civilians.

"This victory reflects our community's strong call for immediate action on Gaza. Our votes matter. Officials who fail to stand on the right side of history will lose our support," said in a public statement Hira Khan, executive director of the Michigan chapter of Emgage Action, a Muslim voter advocacy group, which reached out to 1.1 million voters to urge them to vote "uncommitted" at the ballot.

"As we celebrate this milestone, let's also renew our dedication to our mission, with the understanding that our work is far from over. We will leverage this momentum, ensuring that our elected officials take decisive actions that reflect our values and lead to peace in Gaza and beyond," Khan said.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations conducted an exit poll of Muslim voters and found that 94 per cent of the community chose uncommitted on the ballot. The poll also found that if the election were held today, 40 per cent of Muslims would prefer an unnamed candidate to Biden.

"Based on our exit poll and our interactions with Muslim voters, it appears that President Biden's unconditional support for the Israeli government's genocide in Gaza is likely playing a decisive factor in impacting his support within the Muslim and Arab-American communities," CAIR's government affairs officer Robert McCaw said in a public statement.

It is unclear where the movement will go after Michigan. James Zogby, a veteran pollster and president of the Arab American Institute, said in a post-election Zoom discussion with organisers and journalists on Wednesday that replicating the strategy in Michigan would be difficult in other states due to the lower concentration of residents with ties to the Middle East.

Nevertheless, the experience in Michigan has had the intended effect of highlighting communities that are often overlooked in US elections.