Wisconsin 'uninstructed delegation' voters more than double Biden's 2020 margin

Voters who chose "uninstructed delegation" in Wisconsin's presidential primary Tuesday more than doubled the 20,000 votes President Joe Biden won the state by in 2020, sending a warning sign for his reelection chances in the battleground state.

Voters displeased with Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war organized into a "Listen to Wisconsin" campaign that mirrored other states like Michigan and Minnesota, where a similar "uncommitted" option took about 13% and 19% of the vote in the Democratic primary, respectively.

In Wisconsin, "uninstructed delegation" represented 8.5% of the vote on the Democratic side as of 11:45 p.m. Tuesday night, taking 46,688 votes. With about 93% of the results reported, 485,860 voters have selected Biden as their choice, or 88%. About 3% have voted for Minnesota congressman Dean Phillips, who has ended his campaign and endorsed Biden.

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But it looks like Wisconsin will not pick up spots at the Democratic National Convention as "uninstructed delegates." On the Democratic side, candidates must earn at least 15% of the statewide vote to earn delegates, so Wisconsin did not meet that threshold.

The movement has picked up 26 delegates in other states. Biden has already earned the 1,968 delegates needed to secure his party's nomination. But uninstructed delegates could advocate for policy changes at the convention in Chicago.

Some voters on the Republican side also selected the "uninstructed delegation" option — about 2%, or 12,175 voters, according to preliminary results late last night. Voters may have also picked candidates who dropped out as a way of opposing former President Donald Trump, who took 442,781 votes, or 79%. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley took about 13% of the vote.

'Uninstructed' campaign protests administration's military aid to Israel

The "uninstructed" vote totals show Biden's vulnerability among a group of Democratic voters who are concerned about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where more than 1 million civilians are at risk of famine, according to a recent report.

Organizers who spoke to the Journal Sentinel said they are using the uninstructed option to protest the Biden administration's military aid for Israel. Many stressed they do not want to give Trump another term, but rather send a message to Biden that he needs to change his approach before the Nov. 5 election.

"We don't want lip service and we're done with games," organizer Janan Najeeb said. "We want unhindered and complete access to all humanitarian aid, including clean water, food, medical supplies, and equipment for Palestinians. We want the release of all hostages."

In a statement, campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt said Biden "shares the goal for an end to the violence and a just, lasting peace in the Middle East. He's working tirelessly to that end."

"The President believes making your voice heard and participating in our democracy is fundamental to who we are as Americans," Hitt said.

The Biden administration is building a temporary pier to deliver humanitarian aid for citizens and has asked Israel to not launch a military campaign in Rafah to avoid further civilian endangerment. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the appeal. Trump hasn't called for restraint of military force in the region.

More: What the 'uninstructed' movement means for Wisconsin voters, Biden's chances

Anthony Chergosky, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin La-Crosse, previously told the Journal Sentinel he's going to be watching how campaigns interpret and respond to Tuesday's numbers.

If the uninstructed vote is small in Wisconsin and the Biden campaign knows the base is with him, then it can "go all-in on reaching out to swing voters in the suburbs," he said. But if it's more significant, "the Biden campaign might think to themselves that they really need to shore up the base in advance of the November election."

Wisconsin Vote Uninstructed placed signs too close to polling sites

The Milwaukee Election Commission fielded complaints Tuesday morning about volunteers from Wisconsin Vote Uninstructed placing signs promoting the campaign in front of three polling locations.

Claire Woodall, Executive Director of the Milwaukee Election Commission told the Journal Sentinel that the commission contacted the District Attorney's office about the complaints. According to Wisconsin election rules, people may not engage in electioneering during polling hours on any public property on election day within 100 feet of an entrance to a building containing a polling place.

Rufus King High School was one of the sites where signs were placed. The Milwaukee Police Department sent officers to measure the distance between the polling site and the signs, and Woodall confirmed that the distance was less than 100 ft. Ohio Playground and 53rd St. School polling places also had complaints about signs, according to the Milwaukee Elections Commision.

After being notified of voter concerns, the District Attorney's office contacted the group and informed them that they cannot place signs on public property.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 'Uninstructed delegation' vote surpasses Biden 2020 Wisconsin margin