MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's Note: The attached video first aired on March 5, 2024.
Voters were out on Tuesday, casting ballots for national delegates in the Democratic National Convention.
In Minnesota, a press release from the DFL said that President Biden won 64 of 75 delegates.
But the other votes weren't for former President Donald Trump. Those 11 went to "Uncommitted."
This vote comes from supporters of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The movement calls on Democrats to vote for "Uncommitted" rather than for President Biden, to send the president a message about the need to end civilian casualties in Israel’s fight against Hamas.
"We will not let Palestinian children die on our watch or with our tax dollars," said Asma Mohammed Nizami, lead organizer for Vote Uncommitted Minnesota. "The President must listen."
The uncommitted movement caught national attention when more than 100,000 Michigan primary chose the option and voted in protest during that state's primary. That effort accounted for roughly 13% of democratic voters.
Despite only organizing an effort in Minnesota for a few days, there were more than 45,000 uncommitted voters here, accounting for nearly 20% of those who cast a ballot in the democratic primary.
"I was hoping for at least 5,000 and we blew that out of the water," Mohammed Nizami said. "What we really did is prove to the President that this is not something that's going to stay in Michigan."
The turnout garnered attention from political leaders both nationally and locally, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who told CNN on Tuesday that uncommitted voters spoke loudly.
"I think it's take them seriously," Walz said. "Their message is clear, they think this is an intolerable situation and we can do more, and I think the President is hearing that."
But rather than wait for a political response, Palestinian families visited the state capitol on Wednesday, urging immediate action.
"All you can see in Gaza is death and destruction. I lost, between me and my wife, we lost about 20 members of our family," said Jehad Adwan, an associate professor of nursing at Minnesota State Mankato. "The least anyone can ask for is a ceasefire, to stop the killing, stop the starvation, stop the famine, stop the death of children on a daily basis."
As they wait to see what news comes from the White House, plans for for those Minnesota delegates are just beginning.
"What we want is delegates who are ready to talk about what's happening in Palestine," Mahammed Nizami said. "And what we want more clearly is a better nominee, and I think if Biden wants to be that better nominee, he's going to have to listen to our uncommitted delegates."
In the First, Third, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Districts, all delegates were pledged to President Biden. In the Second, five delegates went to Biden and 1 to Uncommitted. The Fourth District has six for Biden and two Uncommitted and the Fifth District has six for Biden and three for Uncommitted.
For At-Large delegates, 13 were pledged to Biden and three were Uncommitted. Party Leader and Elected Officials delegates, PLEOs, will send eight at large delegates to President Biden and two to Uncommitted.
According to the DFL, candidates had to receive at least 15% of statewide votes to qualify for at-large and PLEO delegates. Candidates had to receive at least 15% of the vote in a congressional district to qualify for district-level delegates from that district.
Minnesota plans to send 92 delegates total to the 2024 Democratic National Convention, in addition to the 75 delegates allocated based on the results of the presidential primary, Minnesota has 17 “automatic” delegates that are not bound by the results of the primary.
“Joe Biden has not done enough to earn my vote and not done enough to stop the war, stop the massacre,” Sarah Alfaham of the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington told the Associated Press.
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