BY THE VILLAGE SUN | Showing the ongoing divide among Democrats over the Israel-Gaza conflict, 15 percent of the party’s New York City voters submitted a blank ballot in the April 2 presidential primary election.
The move was advocated by the group Leave it BLANK NYC as a protest vote against the Biden administration’s ongoing support for Israel.
The New York City Board of Elections did not provide a percentage for the number of blank ballots cast. However, City & State independently figured out that roughly 39,000 ballots were cast for none of the three listed Democratic candidates, Joe Biden, Marianne Williamson and Dean Phillips.
In fact, statewide, “blank” finished second with 12 percent of the vote in the lower-turnout election, beating out Williamson (4 percent) and Phillips (3 percent), while Biden won the primary, taking 79 percent of ballots cast.
Among New York City’s five boroughs, Brooklyn saw the highest percentage of voters submitting unmarked ballots, with nearly 25 percent doing so, while in Manhattan the figure was lower, 11 percent.
According to City & State, the “blank” vote in Congressmember Dan Goldman’s District 10 was 23 percent. District 10 covers most of Manhattan south of around 14th Street, plus much of western Brooklyn, including DUMBO, Cobble Hill, Boerum Park, Gowanus, Park Slope, Red Hook, Sunset Park and Borough Park.
Leave it BLANK NYC called the New York primary an opportunity for voters to send a message for “a lasting ceasefire.” The ad hoc group included several Muslim groups, Jewish Voice for Peace, five Democratic Socialists of America chapters from around the state and Local 100 Fightback, a dissident faction seeking to topple the current leadership of the Transport Workers Union, which represents M.T.A. bus and subway workers.
Also hopping on the blank-ballot bandwagon were the Working Families Party and New York Progressive Action Network, the latter group founded by Bernie Sanders supporters after the 2016 presidential election.
The current Gaza conflict was sparked after Hamas terrorists launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, massacring nearly 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and kidnapping 250. Israel continues to demand the release of all hostages held by Hamas and aims to eradicate the terrorist group.
I think it also has to do with Congestion Pricing. I know people who left it blank as a result of it because it’s Biden’s DOT that greenlit CP.
All the people that are ok with a genocide being committed with their taxes dollars is sad and the world won’t forget.
You’ll be protesting out of the other side of your mouth if clown prince Trump wins. This is what my mom called “playing with fire.” Her advice? “Don’t.”
It was 50,000 voting “uninstructed” in Wisconsin last week and Biden only beat Trump by 20,000 in 2020. Wisconsin is considered the ultimate swing state and crucial for Biden. Dane County (Madison) led the way.
Just shows the power and numbers of pro-Hamas NYers. Shameful
that is just the type of malicious misinformation that creates division. None of us are pro-Hamas. Many of us are Jews who don’t believe in killing and starving civilians as an answer to the horrendous attack by Hamas.
News reports are predicting riots over Palestine and Biden military funding to Israel — not to mention the US troops on aircraft carriers and bases in the region who are in a war zone, especially because the IDF bombed the Iranian Consulate in Syria — at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. I will hopefully be there myself to document the possible conflict and hope it does not turn out to be like Chicago ’68 all over again.
News report on the DNC…….https://www.newsnationnow.com/the-hill/democratic-tensions-over-israel-threaten-to-boil-over-at-chicago-convention/
Thank you JS. The Trump re-election team is thrilled with this result.
I confess I stayed home that day. Couldn’t muster the wherewithal to go out in the rain to NOT vote. But as someone who is prepared to vote for Joe in November to keep MAGA-fascism at bay (and inevitably take loads of sh*t from the “Never Biden” crowd), I absolutely refute that “BLANK NYC is a vote for Trump.” This was the PRIMARY, and Biden’s victory was never in doubt or jeopardy. It was important to send this message — now. In November it will be a different story.
How about Gaza ceasefire protests, which many are being arrested at in NYC almost daily? Have any of these gotten you out of your apartment? Why this mixed-message comment, Bill, with no mention of continued Biden massive weapons and troop support for the IDF and Israel?
Agree 100 percent, Bill!
BLANK NYC is a vote for Trump. Voting is the duty of every single citizen. This is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Negating this responsiblity is courting disaster.