The presidential race could come down to slim margins in just a handful of swing states 鈥� like Michigan and Wisconsin. For Vice President Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, that means every vote counts, including from those of the party鈥檚 response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
On the final evening of the Democratic National Convention this summer in Chicago, Michigan delegate Abbas Alawieh addressed a large scrum of reporters outside.
鈥淭his is a watershed moment where Americans all across the country, where Democrats all across the country, are saying, free Palestine,鈥� Alawieh said as other delegates chanted 鈥淔ree Palestine鈥� behind him.
Some Democrats have been of the Biden administration over U.S. policy toward Israel in its war against Hamas, which is stretching into its second year after Hamas鈥� deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Now those voters must decide where to cast their ballots; those decisions could eat into Harris鈥� voting margins.
Alawieh helped launch the 鈥渦ncommitted鈥� movement in Michigan, which prompted some Democratic primary voters to protest President Biden鈥檚 stance on Gaza by selecting 鈥渦ncommitted鈥� or 鈥渦ninstructed鈥� on their ballots.
Demands not met
Biden 鈥檚 primary in February with more than 618,000 votes 鈥� yet more than 100,000 Michigan Democratic primary voters cast ballots for 鈥渦ncommitted鈥� in the race.
, organizers of that movement more than doubled their goal of 20,000 鈥渦ninstructed鈥� votes.
Thirty-six uncommitted delegates were allocated to the convention. That鈥檚 less than 1% of the more than 3,800 delegates who were pledged to Biden and ultimately supported Harris.
In Chicago, the delegates staged a sit-in demanding a Palestinian American address the convention. While unsuccessful in getting a speaker on stage, Alawieh, the movement鈥檚 co-founder, did not sound defeated.
鈥淲e are saying, 鈥楾his is the Democratic Party, this is the coalition we are building for the next four years for equal rights for all," he told reporters in August.
"I don鈥檛 feel good about it"
But now it鈥檚 October, with weeks to go before Election Day and ballots already out to voters in many states. Many within the protest movement are still not pleased.
鈥淚鈥檒l be voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. I don鈥檛 feel good about it,鈥� said Sam Doten. He was an uncommitted delegate from Minnesota; the state that sent the most 鈥渦ncommitted鈥� delegates to the convention.
Doten has been active in organizing for Democrats in the past but says this year he鈥檚 not volunteering for the Harris campaign 鈥� though he鈥檚 still planning to vote for other Democrats on the ballot.
"I鈥檓 talking about hitting doors, talking to all my friends, encouraging them to vote for this ticket. They鈥檝e made it impossible for me to put in that work and take that position,鈥� Doten said of the Harris-Walz campaign.
Other delegates say they鈥檙e still trying to make up their minds. Some say they鈥檙e voting for a third party or even leaving the top of the ballot blank.
are not endorsing Harris, former President Donald Trump or third-party options 鈥� leaving voters to make their own decisions.
Just this week, the group posted a video online where a co-founder said the situation could get .
"We told you so"
Taher Herzallah is a Minnesotan Ph.D. student running for local office in Minnesota. He has family in Gaza. He and others with family in Gaza unsuccessfully tried to set up a meeting with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz before he was selected as Harris鈥� running mate. Herzallah ultimately met with the governor's staff.
Herzallah says Walz鈥檚 absence from the meeting is one of the reasons he鈥檚 not voting for the Democratic ticket.
鈥淥n Nov. 6, we'll be able to say, 鈥榃e told you so,鈥� in the event that, you know, Donald Trump or somebody else wins the presidency,鈥� he said.
Countering the protest votes, Democrats warn of a Trump presidency
Some Democrats offer a warning for not backing their presidential candidate.
鈥淒onald Trump was a disaster for human rights all around the world, and he would be an even worse disaster for the Palestinian people,鈥� said former Michigan Rep. Andy Levin on a recent virtual Emgage summit last week.
That鈥檚 one of the nation鈥檚 largest Muslim American voter mobilization groups, which endorsed Harris and Walz.
Levin notes it was Trump who pushed to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem 鈥� a longstanding goal of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Walz also joined the Emgage summit.
鈥淭he vice president is working every day to ensure that, to make sure, Israel鈥檚 secure [and] the hostages are home,鈥� Walz said, adding, 鈥渢he suffering in Gaza ends now, and the Palestinian people realize the right to dignity, freedom and self-determination.鈥�
Matt Grossmann, a political scientist at Michigan State University, says the uncommitted movement has been successful at raising attention and mobilizing Democrats around their concerns.
鈥淭hat just doesn't necessarily translate into actual changes in U.S. foreign policy,鈥� Grossmann said. 鈥淓specially when there's a long-standing alliance that they're trying to disrupt and a lot of mobilizing on the other side as well.鈥�
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