WASHINGTON — As expected, President Joe Biden picked up the overwhelming majority of Democratic delegates up for grabs on Super Tuesday.
But he did face a protest vote in several states as some people cast their ballots for “uncommitted” because of his handling of the war in Gaza.
What is "uncommitted" or "no preference" mean for elections?
Seven Super Tuesday states – including Iowa, whose all-mail election reported results that day – offered some sort of “uncommitted” option on their Democratic ballots. The other states included Alabama, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina and Tennessee.
Because Democrats award delegates proportionally everywhere, these rules open the door for ballot options like “uncommitted” or “no preference” to receive delegates, should they qualify by meeting a vote threshold of 15%, either statewide or in a congressional district.
As of Wednesday afternoon, it appears the only Super Tuesday state where "uncommitted" won delegates is Minnesota. While other states such as Colorado and North Carolina saw tens of thousands of votes for "uncommitted" or "no preference," those currently are under the minimum percent to receive delegates.
Last month, dissatisfied Democratic primary voters in Michigan cast enough protest votes to deny Biden two of the state’s 117 delegates.
Some of the upcoming Democratic primary states with "uncommitted" as an option include Washington on March 12, Kansas on March 19 and Missouri on March 23.
The earliest Biden could hit the "magic number" to have won a majority of available delegates is March 19.
What happens to "uncommitted" delegates?
Unlike most delegates awarded to candidates in primaries and caucuses, “uncommitted” delegates are not obligated to vote for any particular candidate at the Democratic National Convention this summer in Chicago. The individuals selected to fill delegate slots will be selected at party meetings later this spring, which means an “uncommitted” delegate slot may be filled by a Biden supporter who ultimately cast a vote for him a the convention.
These uncommitted delegates, as well as a loss in American Samoa to a previously unknown candidate, have been the only thing between Biden and a clean sweep thus far in the 2024 primary season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.