The Michigan Areas Where ‘Uncommitted’ Came Out Ahead
More than 100,000 Michigan voters cast a vote for “uncommitted” in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, a protest vote voicing opposition to President Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war. Two counties in particular, containing communities with high shares of Arab residents and younger voters, drove a third of the protest vote, according to a New York Times analysis of precinct results.
In Wayne County, where more than half of the state’s Arab population lives, 79 percent of the vote went to “uncommitted” in majority-Arab districts.
“Uncommitted” vastly out-performed Biden in Wayne county’s majority-Arab precincts
![](https://static01.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2024-02-28-uncommitted-vote-michigan/49a2919c-afc5-4735-a74a-630d338db3ec/_assets/mapwayne-335.png)
Population of Arab ancestry
Hamtramck
Dearborn
Detroit
Dearborn Heights
15
30
45
60%
More Arab residents
Vote for “uncommitted”
Hamtramck
Dearborn
Detroit
Dearborn Heights
MICH.
15
25
35
45%
Wayne County
More “uncommitted” votes
![](https://static01.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2024-02-28-uncommitted-vote-michigan/49a2919c-afc5-4735-a74a-630d338db3ec/_assets/mapwayne-600.png)
Vote for “uncommitted”
Population of Arab ancestry
Hamtramck
Hamtramck
Dearborn Heights
Dearborn Heights
Dearborn
Dearborn
MICH.
15
15
25
30
45
60%
35
45%
Wayne County
More Arab residents
More “uncommitted” votes
Sources: The Associated Press; L2; U.S. Census Bureau; Wayne County
Note: Detroit’s data is aggregated up to the city level because a complete set of precinct-level data including absentee votes is not available there.
This was particularly pronounced in Dearborn, Dearborn Heights and Hamtramck, the three townships with the highest concentrations of Arab Americans.
For Arab Americans who sought to send a warning signal to Mr. Biden over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war, Tuesday’s protest vote largely achieved its goals, though it is unclear what that will portend for the general election in November. In Wayne County alone, the 26,000 votes for “uncommitted” surpassed one group’s target of 10,000.
The push for “uncommitted” spread beyond Arab American communities. In all but a handful of counties, “uncommitted” received 10 percent or more of the total vote in the Democratic primary. In past uncompetitive presidential primaries and caucuses across the country, the typical protest vote has been about 7 percent.
In Washtenaw County, “uncommitted” received more than 17 percent — tied with Wayne County for the highest share in the state.
Washtenaw’s high share of “uncommitted” voters came from areas with more younger residents
![](https://static01.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2024-02-28-uncommitted-vote-michigan/49a2919c-afc5-4735-a74a-630d338db3ec/_assets/map1-335.png)
Population ages 18 to 29
Ann Arbor
Ypsilanti
15
30
45
60%
More younger residents
Vote for “uncommitted”
Ann Arbor
Ypsilanti
MICH.
15
25
35
45%
Washtenaw County
More “uncommitted” votes
![](https://static01.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2024-02-28-uncommitted-vote-michigan/49a2919c-afc5-4735-a74a-630d338db3ec/_assets/map1-600.png)
Vote for “uncommitted”
Population ages 18 to 29
Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor
Ypsilanti
Ypsilanti
MICH.
15
15
30
45
60%
25
35
45%
Washtenaw County
More younger residents
More “uncommitted” votes
Sources: The Associated Press; L2; U.S. Census Bureau; Washtenaw County
This is largely attributable to the vote in areas with higher shares of voters ages 18 to 29, like Ann Arbor, home to the University of Michigan, and Ypsilanti, home to Eastern Michigan University.
In Michigan, “uncommitted” received two delegates to the Democratic National Convention. These delegates are not pledged to Mr. Biden and are free to vote for a nominee of their choosing at the convention.