SEATTLE — President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump handily won the presidential primary election in Washington state amid an effort to vote "uncommitted" on the Democratic side and Nikki Haley garnered nearly a quarter of the Republican vote.
As of 10 a.m. Wednesday, Biden has received 559,996, or 86.7% of the Democratic vote. "Uncommitted" received 48,619, or 7.5% of the vote. On the Republican side, Trump received 442,048, or 74.2% of the vote while Nikki Haley, who dropped out of the race ahead of the election received 129,394, or 21.7% of the vote.
"Uncommitted" received the most votes in King County where it received 10.3% of the votes.
Democratic National Committee rules dictate any candidate, including "uncommitted" is eligible to win delegates if they receive 15% of the statewide vote or 15% of the vote in any congressional district.
The movement to vote "uncommitted" was a protest vote to send a message to Biden that his administration must do more to address the crisis in Gaza. On Feb. 27, more than 100,000 people voted "uncommitted" in Michigan's primary elections.
Biden still won the Michigan primary and all of the primaries that have followed, but the movement has continued to grow. Hawaii joined Michigan and Minnesota in sending "uncommitted" delegates to the Democratic National Convention in August.
The executive board for the state’s largest private-sector labor union had endorsed Washingtonians voting “uncommitted”
United Food and Commercial Workers 3000 said in a statement that “many voters, and UFCW 3000 executive board, feel that the best path to have the best nominee, and to defeat Trump, is to vote ‘uncommitted.'"
Presidential primaries in the state are the only elections to require voters to mark and sign party declarations. According to the Washington Secretary of State’s Office, this type of primary is a way for voters to help political parties decide their presidential nominees.
Each party’s candidates will be listed on the ballot, but voters can only choose one candidate from one party. If voters choose candidates from both parties or a candidate from a party that doesn't match the party box selected, their votes will not count.
Voters will not remain affiliated with the party they choose, and their choice will be removed from their record 60 days after the state certifies the primary. March 29 is the last day for the Secretary of State to certify the primary.
This process is only for the March 12 primary and does not apply to the November general election.
Both parties have rules on how they decide to allocate delegates using the primary results.
The November general election is Nov. 5.