After a tough 60% – 40% loss by Nikki Haley in her home state of South Carolina, she’s looking for redemption in Michigan. February 27th is Michigan’s Presidential Primary Election, where voters statewide will flock to the polls to select a candidate for whichever party they identify with (or choose to vote for in this election).
Voters have the option of selecting which party ballot they would like. If they select the Democrat ballot, voters are required to pick from 4 options. President Joe Biden, Representative Dean Phillips, and author and activist Marianne Williamson — who has since dropped out of the race for the White House, but remains on the ballot. The final option is “uncommitted.” Joe Biden has swept the past 3 Democratic primaries in Nevada and South Carolina, where he received 89% and 96% of the vote respectively.
In New Hampshire, after a riff with the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Biden refused to include his name on the primary ballot. Biden, who is considered the Democratic Party leader, introduced a new calendar for the Democratic Party, aiming to give more representation to minority and marginalized voters. New Hampshire, which has always been credited with their first in-nation primary, refused to follow the new guidelines, as their primary date is signed into the state constitution. While Biden’s name did not appear on the ballot, he received 63.9% of the vote, due to a massive grassroots “write-in” campaign. Meaning, 63.9% of voters wrote his name onto a ballot he didn’t appear on. Talk about support!
Voters who are voting in the Republican Primary in Michigan have a few more options. They will have the choice of 7 candidates, as well as an “uncommitted” option. The ballot includes many candidates who have already dropped out of the race, but since the ballots are printed weeks and even months in advance, the candidates will still be included. Three candidates remain out of the 7 otherwise listed, Former President Donald Trump, Ryan Binkley, and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley.
Donald Trump looks to sweep Tuesday’s primary, as he inches closer to receiving the Republican National Committee (RNC) Nomination. Trump has continuously won all of the Republican Primary races in 2024, leaving him far ahead of Nikki Haley in terms of delegate counts.
The national political spotlight is shining bright on Michigan, as political analysts acknowledge Michigan’s key pull on the 2024 race. Many political correspondents believe no candidate can win the 2024 election without winning Michigan. While the main competition will be between Donald Trump and Nikki Haley, voters look towards the democratic ballot to view how a “protest vote” will turn out against President Joe Biden.
Voters and organizers in Dearborn Michigan, a predominately Arab-American populous, have been campaigning to tell people to choose the “uncommitted” option on this year’s ballot. Activists aim for 10,000 votes in this election towards uncommitted. Their goal is to show Joe Biden through voting, that they are disappointed with his policies and handling of the Isreal and Hamas war, hoping that if enough voters choose the uncommitted option, he will acknowledge the situation and call for a ceasefire. U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib from Michigan’s 12th congressional district has joined in on the campaign to vote uncommitted.
Michigan has an open Primary system, meaning all registered voters are able to vote in this election, regardless of their party affiliation, or how they have voted in the past. There will be two separate ballots, one for each party. Voters must request the ballot type when signing into their polling place. In some places, there is a third “nonpartisan” ballot which only has voter proposals and ballot initiatives on it.
All national media networks have designated specific air time to comprehend and digest the results of the race.
