Naziya Noorani cast her ballot in DeKalb County for the Democratic presidential primary on Tuesday morning without marking it, which set off an alert from the voting machine. “I thought maybe it won’t be counted. But I just kind of went with my gut at that point and cast it anyway,” said Noorani.
It was no error that Noorani, a nurse in the Decatur area, didn’t choose a Democratic presidential candidate in Georgia’s March 12 primary. She’s one of a number of Atlanta voters who participated in the “Leave It Blank” campaign. As of 10 a.m. Wednesday, 6,455 Georgia voters submitted blank ballots with final results expected later today.
It’s part of an effort by several Georgia progressive groups to pressure President Joe Biden to call for a permanent cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, by refusing to vote for him in the Democratic primary.
“It’s sending a message to Democrats, because they’re very capable of sending aid to Gaza and truly negotiating a ceasefire instead of consistently voting against it,” said Noorani, who learned about the campaign from a friend’s Instagram post.
Similar protest-vote campaigns have gone viral in other states during the 2024 Democratic presidential primary. The effort started with Michigan’s Feb. 27 primary, where 101,000 Democratic voters, or 13.2%, marked “uncommitted,” instead of voting for Biden or another Democratic candidate. Voters in other states did the same for last week’s Super Tuesday primaries, with “uncommitted” winning as much as 29% of Democratic primary votes in Hawaii and 19% in Minnesota.
Georgia does not offer an “uncommitted” option, but voters can instead leave their ballot blank.
Disaffected Georgia Republicans employed that tactic in the 2022 U.S. Senate runoff to indicate their refusal to vote for the Republican candidate, Hershel Walker. In that race, 2,694 voters left their ballots blank, including former Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan, but that made up just a tiny fraction of the 1,719,483 ballots cast for Walker. Walker’s Democratic opponent, Sen. Raphael Warnock, won the Georgia runoff with 51.37% or 1,816,096 votes
“Leave It Blank”
The “Leave It Blank” campaign in Georgia has been a last-minute scramble.
State Rep. Ruwa Romman (D-Duluth), Georgia’s first Palestinian-American legislator, said she was inspired to act after the Michigan primary two weeks ago.
“I wanted to do something in Georgia, but what can we do? I don’t think any of the other candidates deserve our vote–like Marianne [Williamson] can’t even decide if she’s still in the race or not,” Romman told Atlanta Civic Circle on Tuesday.
“So what if you went and you voted–but left it blank to show that you’re a Democratic voter but, right now, can’t see yourself affirmatively pushing the button for Biden?” she said.
Romman shared the idea in a group WhatsApp chat, and “people got excited about it,” she said. Quickly, a new coalition formed, dubbed “Listen to Georgia.” Over the last 10 days, 16 political and community-based groups joined, including the Peach State Muslim Coalition, New Disabled South Rising, The Movement for Black Lives Action Fund, CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) Action, and Jewish Voice for Peace Action.
“It’s been incredible,” said Romman. “By Saturday night, I went to an event, and somebody had already printed out a ‘Leave It Blank’ flier with instructions.” Since then, over 500 volunteers from the Listen to Georgia coalition have emailed, texted, and called thousands of Georgia voters. They’ve also distributed flyers to voters in 19 cities across the state that say: “Tell Biden, ceasefire now! Leave it blank on March 12.”
Members of Jewish Voice for Peace Action say they spent the days leading up to the primary leading phone and text banks and canvassing to try and convince Georgia voters to leave their ballots blank–despite disagreement about the Israel-Gaza conflict among the Atlanta Jewish community.
“Certainly, there is division within the broader Jewish community and Jewish establishment around this issue,” said Allison Glass, a Jewish Voice for Peace Action spokesperson.
“There are a lot of people who are saying that speaking out against this crisis in Gaza is antisemitic.” Glass said. “But there are more and more people who are rising up and saying ‘absolutely not’—not only is speaking out against what’s happening not antisemitic, it is actually coming from our place of Jewish values of justice.”
The Jewish Federation of Atlanta did not respond to multiple attempts for comment.
How much impact?
It remains to be seen how much influence the national vote protest will have on Biden to call a ceasefire.
The Listen to Georgia coalition’s goal was for 1,179 Democratic primary voters to leave their ballot blank. That represents 10% of Biden’s narrow 11,779 vote margin of victory in Georgia in 2020, out of almost 5 million ballots cast. The number of blank ballots cast Tuesday, 6,455, was at least five times that goal and represents a total of at least 2.2% of Democratic ballots cast.
“There are many more people than that who are upset about what is happening in Gaza with the support of the Biden administration. What we hope to do during this primary is to do what voters in Michigan did—send the president the message: ’You’ve got to change course, or you risk losing critical voters in the November election,’” said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, a spokesperson for CAIR Action.
However, turnout for Georgia’s presidential primary was low, since both parties’ primary winners were foreordained. Both Biden and Trump are expected to cruise to the nomination from their respective parties for the Nov. 5 general election.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he expected only 9% to 10% of registered Georgia voters to turn out, or fewer than 800,000. That compares with 2 million presidential primary voters in 2020.
An election worker told Atlanta Civic Circle on Tuesday that only 40 ballots had been cast at their precinct at Piedmont Park by noon, slightly more than the number cast for the school board election last fall.
Noorani, the Decatur nurse, said she hopes Biden and the Democratic Party get the message from all of the blank and “uncommitted” ballots cast nationally. Even though she voted for Biden in 2020, she added, she’s in wait-and-see mode for November.
For Romman, who’s the granddaughter of Palestinian refugees, it’s personal. The state legislator was born in Jordan and moved to the United States at age 7.
“Everyone I know has been personally affected,” she said. “We have family friends who’ve lost countless family members.” She added that she knows someone who “helped raise millions of dollars” for Biden–and has now lost over 80 family members.
“So this is not hypothetical,” said Romman. “I’m just scared it might be too late. And so that’s why we’re trying so hard on the electoral side.”
[Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with results from Tuesday’s election.]
Thank you for the work you do.
I voted blank yesterday.
I have written several letters to the President, VP, our Senators since the war began along the following lines, FYI. I have also posted these letters as messages on fundraisers, as FB messages to various members of Congress etc. If it is useful, please use my sample letters as you see fit.
AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BIDEN, VP HARRIS & MEMBERS OF BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS & SECRETARIES OF STATE BLINKEN & AUSTIN
Urgency is the need of the hour. I will not be in a position to vote in November unless there is an immediate and permanent (not 6 weeks) ceasefire, and a clear and concrete path to Palestinian self-determination. For background, I am of Indian origin(secular, born Hindu, 65 years, woman) and atheist. I believe in doing good, guided by the same moral compass for everyone. I come from a family that suffered displacement/loss of family members during Indian partition, and also a family that fought for independence from British rule. My parents were secular and did not follow caste. They followed Nehru and Gandhi. I am against the current neo-Nazi Hindutva agenda of the BJP government in India which is very dangerous, as you will agree. I live in Georgia, USA. I know my vote and the vote of many like me was critical in the last election.
But it seems as if the administration and many people in the Democratic party leadership have fallen into the AIPAC and Netanyahu trap. It seems as if saving democracy and winning the election are secondary objectives. This policy of death, destruction, and war crimes against the Palestinians could never have continued for 5 months if the Democratic party was being guided by one moral compass for all. The double standards are so glaringly obvious in the way Russia/Ukraine and Israel/Gaza issues are treated and focused both by the government and the media. I have felt so much shame each time the US vetoes ceasefire in the UN. Not many days are left before everyone starves to death. This genocide must stop immediately.
As you well know, MLK and Nelson Mandela would never have stood for this prolonged injustice.
You know President Carter’s views about apartheid in Palestine already. You know the Palestinians were not responsible for the holocaust. Yet, they have been made to suffer for 75 years. The Jewish people should have been given a piece of Europe. Putting them in a hostile environment in the ME was doomed to fail.
I am not antisemitic. I read Anne Frank’s diary at 8 years; I also read the Merchant of Venice as a teenager and Shylock’s plea for equality, and also his vow to take more perfect revenge. I see the latter in the actions of the far-right & Netanyahu government, and the terrible hate that some of them are teaching the children in Israel. This terrible hate(whether for Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs or Jewish people or any other minority or oppressed people) is not only bad for minds and souls but also for world peace. The Palestinians should not be the target, as you will agree.
Please, I beg you, please stop this injustice and let’s look for lasting peace and equality for all.
Finally, I would request that the Arab League’s presentation to the ICJ be noted and implemented.
Kind regards,
Smita Swarup, PhD, International Politics
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Dear Mr. Biden, I humbly submit, I am paying close attention to your Gaza policy. Thank you for considering urgent paths for humanitarian aid into Gaza. However, I will not vote in November unless there is a permanent ceasefire, & a concrete path to statehood for Palestine. For background, I am of Indian origin (secular, born Hindu, 65, woman, atheist). I am not antisemitic. I believe in doing good, guided by one moral compass for all. My family suffered displacement/death during Indian partition; it also fought British rule. My parents were secular & rejected caste. They admired Lincoln & FDR, Gandhi & Nehru. They opposed (as I do) the very dangerous neo-Nazi Zionist, Hindutva & Christian supremacist agenda.
I live in Georgia, USA. I know my vote was critical in 2020. In 2018, I was one of the first to say that you would be the one who would win the election and beat Trump. I wrote several hundred letters to support your election in 2020, and again for electing Democracts in competitive states in 2022. I loved your SOTU last night. But, I cannot bear the continued unconditional support for Israel, and your lukewarm concern for Palestinian rights.
It seems that many Democratic party leaders have fallen into the AIPAC/Netanyahu trap. It seems that saving democracy & winning the presidency are secondary objectives. War crimes & genocide against the Palestinians could not have continued for 5 months if the Democratic party was guided by one moral compass for all. The double standards are so glaringly obvious when I compare how the government and media focus Ukraine & Gaza. I feel shame each time Israel’s hateful atrocities are justified & when the US vetoes ceasefire. You know that MLK, Nelson Mandela & President Carter would have opposed this prolonged injustice. Yet, the Palestinians have suffered displacement, occupation and atrocities for 75 years.
I see the terrible hate that some are teaching the children. This terrible hate(whether for Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs or Jewish people or any other minority or oppressed people) is not only bad for minds & souls but also for world peace.
Please stop this injustice; please let’s look for lasting peace, security & equality for all. I also request that the Arab League’s presentation to the ICJ be noted & implemented. Kind regards, Smita Swarup, PhD, International Politics
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Dear Madam Vice President,
I beg for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
I must humbly submit, you cannot carry on objecting to Trump saying he’ll allow Putin to do anything he wants in Ukraine and allow Netanyahu to do anything he wants in Gaza and the West Bank.This is a glaring double standard.
If you had not, early on in the conflict, justified/rationalized the cruelty, 30,000 people would not be dead in Gaza, more maimed and orphaned and childless; you would not have allowed so much trauma that will be felt for generations to come. You have presided over a genocide and your response to Netanyahu is still lukewarm. This makes many people of my color and background wonder why you treat Ukraine so much better? Is it just the color of our skin and the religion of the people being slaughtered and dehumanized? I am fully in favor of your support for Ukraine but I also want the same for Palestine.
I will not be in a position to vote in November unless you change course and recognize the pain and disbelief that so many of us are feeling as we see this cruel war stream online, and as the media is silent. Allowing a victim to commit crimes because of the guilt that so many Americans feel for what happened to the Jewish people during the holocaust is no longer an acceptable response. And, I know many Jewish Americans who don’t want you to allow this cruelty in “their name.” Also, the Palestinians should not be punished for the holocaust. They have not deserved the cruelty of the apartheid regime for more than a half century. You cannot turn a blind eye anymore. The tide has turned and your election and American democracy and world peace should not be endangered for irrational reasons. This is too expensive a price demanded by Israel and by those Americans who demand it.
Please call for immediate & permanent ceasefire in the UN. Please move to the two-state solution immediately.
Kind regards,
Smita Swarup, PhD, International Politics
If you think about long term strategies for world peace, a legal ban of child corporal punishment could be an important step to take. Franz Jedlicka has written some interesting articles about this relation.