Hundreds of thousands of voters across the nation, including residents in Germantown, cast their vote as ‘uncommitted’ during the 2024 primary election. As citizens prepare to head to the polls again for the general election, these voters must decide how to cast their ballots with significantly more at stake.
The act of voting ‘uncommitted’ gained national traction as an act of protest, as a way for individuals to show their dissatisfaction with President Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas War.
Uncommitted PA, a coalition of Pennsylvania organizations that established the movement’s presence throughout the state, encouraged and led a charge that resulted in a vast turnout during April’s primary election. In Pennsylvania, ‘uncommitted’ wasn’t an option to select, so voters had to write in that choice on their ballot.
Over 60,000 write-in votes were cast during Pennsvlyvania’s Democratic Primary, which made up more than 5.6 percent of Democratic voters and surpassed the coalition’s goal of 40,000 write-in votes.
Democrats banded together with about 650,000 voters choosing ‘uncommitted’ in primary elections nationwide. This sent a strong message to the Biden Administration as voters placed these ballots to call for a ceasefire, the end of aid for Israel’s war effort, and to symbolize how the Democratic party has to earn the trust of certain voters.
Germantown residents who have contributed to the movement have expressed concerns with both candidates from the two major political parties, as they have yet to see much mention of a potential ceasefire or policy shift. With this uncertainty, neighbors are ready to pivot to their next move while keeping their same ideals.
Robyn Tevah, who has made an effort to spread the word throughout the community, has sat at tables, passed out flyers, and spoken to individuals about what she views as a monumental method of protest.
“I thought it was important to work on and I think it’s probably the most clever organizing tactic that I’ve seen in my life, and I’m a senior,” Tevah said.
Tevah has decided that her vote will be going towards Vice President Kamala Harris, but she’s still one of many Americans who want to see progressive steps put into place by the Democratic candidate.
“Harris has consistently said more balanced things than Biden, but it remains to be seen if that’s going to translate into something practical. I’m not sure, as a Vice President, what she can actually do,” Tevah said. “We need a ceasefire, that’s obvious, but the question is what you’re willing to do to make it happen.”
“Since we’re Israel’s closest ally and it’s our money going to a lot of those bombs, it’s up to us to play hardball,” Tevah added.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the United States made up 69 percent of Israel’s arms imports between 2019 and 2023.
Another Germantown resident who wrote in as uncommitted during the primary, Stevie Brandenburg, also wants to see significant change.
“Going forward, I guess I still am, in a broad sense, uncommitted because the message that the uncommitted national movement was involved in hasn’t been met by any of the debates or political points written online,” Stevie said. “I’ve been registered as independent ever since I could register for the first time–I updated my registration to Democrat so I could vote in the primary.”
Brandenburg is nearing an alternative decision that will most likely not be in support of either of the two major political parties.
“I’m currently considering either voting third party, recognizing, of course the risks and faults in that method, and I’ve been reading up on and considering trading a vote,” Brandenburg said.
Vote trading typically involves a voter in a swing state bargaining with a voter in a non-swing state to exchange votes for a third-party candidate.
For example, in an effort to prevent a lesser-desired party from winning the election, a Pennsylvania voter who doesn’t want to vote for a major party candidate might do so anyway in exchange for a California voter switching their vote from a major party to a third-party candidate.
No matter the alternative, she made it clear that it would still be an act of protest.
“Part of why I see voting for a third party as continuing to be a protest vote is because our electoral process, especially in specific states, prevents third parties from really gaining traction throughout the year,” Brandenburg said. “If you actually look into third parties, they are doing work. There are a lot of preventative measures, even down to closed primaries, that prevent third parties from getting that traction.”
She continued: “It’s not just the need for a specific type of candidate, but it’s for voting to actually reflect the voice of the people. And to be more accessible, with having primaries open across the board while making sure information is more accessible to people to know who they’re voting for.”
Ashe Wagner is a Germantown local who also voted uncommitted and doesn’t feel secure in voting for either of the candidates from the major parties in the upcoming election.
“We were waiting to see how Kamala Harris would respond to the movement and to the call to disarm Israel,” Wagner said. “Time has passed; she announced her platform and made it clear that her policy wouldn’t differ much at all from Biden’s policy, so she made my decision for me.”
“The protest vote was meant to indicate that the cause for Gaza is significant to Democratic [voters] and that if the democratic party were to take action, then that would lean them a significant amount of votes,” Wagner said. “Which we did prove through the protest vote.
Wagner also expressed the desire to see the accessibility of presidential options expand beyond the two major political parties while hinting at a possible third-party vote.
“We should expand our political party system, and I think that is going to be reflected in my vote,” Wagner said.
Afroza Hossain is another community member who’s considering a third-party vote of protest and refuses to stand for any aid to the ongoing violence.
“I’m still uncommitted, but I’m leaning towards voting for Dr. Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate because my red line is still genocide,” Hossain said. “Killing children is never defensible. Voting third party shows that we are no longer willing to fall under whatever it is that [the Democratic and Republican candidates] are saying they will do.”
Dr. Jill Stein has been a vocal advocate for a ceasefire in Israel throughout her presidential campaign.
“Do I think Jill Stein will become president if I vote for her? No, but do I think it will make a difference if she gets even five percent of the vote? Yes,” Hossain said. “I think that could lead to future movements.”
“I believe in people movements and power from the ground up,” Hossain added.
The Nov. 5 election is less than a month away, and registering to vote online, by mail, or in-person at an election office all have a deadline of Oct. 21. The new 8th District Satellite Election site, located at 5301 Chew Avenue, is a nearby resource for Germantown residents who are interested in registering, obtaining a mail-in/absentee ballot, and more.
