'Uncommitted delegates' on 2024 primary ballot

[Northern_Light]

I just received my ballot for the Washington primary and there is an option to vote for 'Uncommitted delegates'.

[link:https://pcdn.columbian.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Sample-Ballot-March-12-2024-Presidential-Primary.pdf|

Voting material says 'A vote for "Uncommitted Delegates" allows uncommitted party delegates who represent Washington to decide during their national convention'.

I've never seen that before, but this is my first WA primary. I get how it works, but my question is why is that on the ballot?

[Wounded Bear]

1. Good question. I saw that too, and it isn't also on the repub side...

[PlutosHeart]

2. Sounds strange to me.

[GP6971]

3. We haven't received our ballots yet so

I'll have to check when we get them.

[caraher]

4. The Voter Guide has an expanation

"On January 9, each political party decided which candidates would be printed and whether to add "Uncommitted Delegates" to their side of the ballot. Once the list of candidates was submitted to the Office of the Secretary of State, changes could not be made. (RWC 29A.56)"

It also turns out this is only the second Democratic primary that "counts" and evidently this was an option in 2020 as well:

A fourteenth option for Democratic voters will let them select an “uncommitted” option, meaning they would prefer that the state’s delegates to the party’s national convention be unallocated, rather than awarded to one of the candidates.