The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today released the results of the first national presidential poll of American Muslim voter preferences since Vice President Kamala Harris replaced President Biden on the Democratic ticket.
This report shows that 29.4% of American Muslims plan to vote for Kamala Harris of the Democratic Party, 29.1% for Jill Stein of the Green Party, 11.2% for Donald Trump of the Republican Party, 4.2% for Cornel West of the People’s Party, and less than 1% for Chase Oliver of the Libertarian Party, and 16.5% are undecided.
Before President Biden’s withdrawal, CAIR’s unreleased poll of over 2,500 Muslim American voters showed Biden (7.3%) and Trump (4.9%) each receiving less than 10% support of respondents compared to 36% for Jill Stein and 25.2% for Cornel West.
READ: CAIR 2024 Election Survey of American Muslim Voters
WATCH: CAIR’s Livestream Release & Analysis of the Report
In a statement, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said:
“Our latest survey reveals that American Muslim voters are highly engaged in the upcoming presidential election, open to supporting a diverse range of candidates and political parties, and deeply dissatisfied with the current state of the nation, particularly U.S. support for the war on Gaza. The poll also shows that an unusually high number of American Muslims planning to vote for third party candidates. With over 2.5 million American Muslim voters eligible to turn out in November, including in key swing states, elected officials and political candidates should engage with their Muslim constituents in the coming weeks.”
This report contains results from a poll of 2,850 Muslim voters collected between May and July, before President Biden’s withdrawal, and a separate August 25-27 presidential poll of over 1,000 Muslim voters conducted after Vice President Harris accepted the Democratic nomination at the DNC convention.
Key Findings:
- Presidential Preferences:
- In the August 25-27 poll, 29.4% of Muslim voters expressed support for Kamala Harris, while 29.1% favored Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party, 4.2% favored Dr. Cornel West of the People’s Party, and less than 1% favored Chase Oliver of the Libertarian Party.
- Former president Donald Trump of the Republican Party garnered 11.2%, with a notable 16.5% of Muslim voters remaining undecided.
- Political Party Support:
- 69.1% of respondents generally vote for the Democratic Party, yet a significant 59.7% plan to vote for “other” parties in the 2024 Presidential election.
- Congressional Control:
- Only 37.9% of respondents want the Democratic Party to maintain control of Congress, with a majority (55.4%) unsure which party should lead.
- Approval Ratings:
- Ninety-four percent of Muslim voter disapproved of President Joe Biden and Congress’ recent performance, with 98.2% dissatisfied of Biden’s handling of the Israeli government’s genocide in Gaza.
- Top Issues:
- The most pressing concerns for Muslim voters include international human rights, religious freedom, healthcare access, and hate crimes. On foreign policy, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in China are top priorities.
- A Divided Electorate:
- Muslim voters are showing a diverse range of political preferences, with one-third leaning towards third-party candidates. This reflects a broader dissatisfaction with the two major parties, as both Democrats and Republicans are perceived as unfriendly towards Muslim communities.
- Civic Engagement:
- Despite this discontent, Muslim voters remain highly engaged, with 82.1% indicating they are “very likely” to vote in the upcoming Presidential election.
For more detailed findings and to access the full report, please visit CAIR 2024 Election Survey of Muslim Voters.
ABOUT MUSLIM VOTERS: In February, CAIR announced that it counted over 2.5 million registered Muslim American voters nationwide. CAIR previously estimated in 2022, there were some 1.2 million or more Muslim voters.
MORE RESOURCES: In July, CAIR updated its voter engagement platform, Muslims.Vote. Muslims.Vote has long been a cornerstone of CAIR’s efforts to promote civic engagement within the Muslim community. CAIR’s Muslims.Vote website includes:
- An updated 50-state guide on voter registration and key election deadlines, including voting by mail for the November 8th midterm elections. The guide contains a list of upcoming election dates, whether an excuse is needed to vote absentee and deadlines for requesting and submitting absentee ballots.
- CAIR’s updated 2024 Sample Questions for Candidates and Government Offices, which encourages Muslim voters to ask candidates questions running for office about issues like religious freedom, civil rights, fighting discrimination, the right to boycott, and more.
- An updated 2024 Congressional Scorecard that tracks congressional votes and co-sponsorship of key bills. The votes of every elected member of Congress have been rated positively or negatively depending on how closely their votes on relevant legislation corresponded with civil rights and social justice priorities identified by CAIR. The criteria selected for each topic are rooted in legislation introduced and voted upon in the 118th U.S. Congress (2023-2024).
- CAIR’s Voter Rights Guide provides information on preventing discrimination against voters because of their race, color, national origin, disability, sex, or religion.
NOTE: As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, CAIR does not endorse or oppose candidates for office, and makes no claims as to the favorability of one candidate being elected over another.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is America’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com