Why You Should Vote “Uncommitted” on June 4 | Opinion from NJ.com

By Stephen R. Shalom

If you seek to show your support for ending the Gaza war, you can do it on your ballot during New Jersey’s June 4 Democratic Primary. It is a simple process: Vote for the “Uncommitted” slate in Column 1, under “Choice for President and Presidential delegates.”

President Biden already has secured enough delegates to the August Democratic convention in Chicago so that he is the presumptive party nominee. Apart from an anti-abortion activist, his will be the only name listed on the N.J. primary ballot as a presidential candidate.

Nevertheless, in most of New Jersey, primary voters have the option of voting for a slate of “uncommitted” delegates -- committed to no candidate, but fully committed to supporting “Justice for Palestine, permanent ceasefire now.”

Jewish Voice for Peace Action, New Jersey -- along with many other peace and justice advocates with varying points of view – is urging primary voters to cast their ballots for the “uncommitted” slate. By doing so, we will be supporting the call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the full entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and an end to unrestricted U.S. military aid to Israel.

A robust “uncommitted” vote has already appeared in other states – garnering 19% of the vote in Minnesota, 15% in Rhode Island, 13% in Michigan and North Carolina, and 12% in Missouri -- extraordinary numbers for a non-candidate.

Yet New Jerseyans still have questions about the uncommitted campaign:

♦ Will voting for “uncommitted” hurt President Biden’s chances in November?

On the contrary. Biden’s position on the Gaza war today is opposed by a majority of the American public and a majority of Democrats. By pressuring Biden to align his policies with those of the electorate, we are strengthening his prospects for the fall. By pressuring him to move toward a permanent ceasefire, we are increasing the likelihood that disillusioned voters will cast ballots for him in the November election.

♦ Is voting “uncommitted” just a wasted protest vote?

No. If we can elect a significant number of delegates to the Democratic convention who support justice for Palestine and a permanent ceasefire, there is a greater chance that the convention -- which must endorse a platform and can pass resolutions -- will speak up for Palestine. The larger the vote for the uncommitted slate, the more likely that Biden’s political advisers will urge him to change course before it is too late.

♦ Does voting “uncommitted” on June 4 mean that you must vote against Biden in the Fall?

There is no relationship between your primary vote and your vote in November. Some who vote “uncommitted” will vote for Biden in the general election only if he modifies his policy on Gaza. Others will vote for Biden in any event as a means of keeping out Trump. And still others will cast ballots for third party candidates. If you vote uncommitted on June 4, you can do any of these things in November.

♦ How can we have any leverage on Biden and the Democrats in a Blue state?

Yes, it’s true, New Jersey is going to vote for Biden (if not, Trump will prevail in a landslide), so a large uncommitted vote doesn’t carry nearly the weight that it does in a swing state like Michigan.

But that doesn’t mean that a large turnout for “uncommitted” won’t be helpful to the Palestinian cause. First, the more people who express their opposition to Biden’s Gaza policy, the more his advisers will acknowledge the need to address people’s concerns. (And note that Biden doesn’t have to totally adopt our position in order to make policy corrections that will benefit Palestinians.)

Second, while New Jersey is Blue, many down-ballot races are contested, and a large uncommitted vote will show Democrats in these close contests that Palestine matters.

Fully three quarters of Democrats in the United States oppose Israel’s policies in Gaza. Nevertheless, far fewer of their elected representatives reflect this view. This is not the way representative government is supposed to work.

Go to the polls on June 4 and cast your vote for “uncommitted.” Countless lives in Gaza are potentially at stake. And in a way, so is American democracy.

Stephen R. Shalom is a retired professor of political science at William Paterson University and a member of Jewish Voice for Peace Action in New Jersey.