Massachusetts early voting ends Friday as group calls for protest vote against Biden
BOSTON - Early voting ends Friday in Massachusetts and there's also a push going on for voters to pick "no preference" in the presidential primary as a call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The Secretary of State's office said early voting in person or by mail has been a little sluggish this year. So far, 8.7% of the state's estimated 5 million voters have cast a ballot - 38,000 in person and 393,000 by mail.
"I don't know if I'll be in town next week to vote, it's very important for me, I think, to vote," said one early voter. Some even admit they're switching their party affiliation for the primary.
"I changed my party to Republican to vote for Nikki Haley strategically," said Keith Magee. "Though I will change back to being a Democrat."
Also brewing in this election in a call for a protest vote, urging Democrats to vote "no preference" to send a message to President Joe Biden about his support for Israel in the war in Gaza. The group Somerville for Palestine has been circulating a petition, hoping Democrats take notice.
"We feel very strongly that a vote no preference in this moment sends a strong message to President Biden that we do not accept this violence in our name and with our tax dollars," said Sara Halawa of Somerville for Palestine. "And we say ceasefire now."
A similar campaign took place during Michigan's primary on Tuesday, where enough "uncommitted" votes were cast to win two delegates at the Democratic National Convention.
"One-hundred thousand votes in Michigan have caught the president's attention in a way that nothing, it seems, has before," said Halawa.
Whether the protest vote has a similar impact on Super Tuesday next week remains to be seen and voters are mixed on its impact.
"No preference is like, to me, sitting on a picket fence," said Bill Taube.
"I think it's really important for people to use this opportunity to have their voices heard," said Magee.