Survey showed 72% percent of Muslim Super Tuesday voters disapprove of Biden’s handling of the Israeli government’s war in Gaza
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today announced that its automated telephone exit poll of 568 Muslim voters who participated in the March 5th Super Tuesday presidential primary election found in the event of a snap election today, a combined 37 percent of Muslim voters would prefer a third-party candidate (19% split three ways) or an unnamed “other candidate” (18%) over incumbent President Joe Biden (36%) or Republican presidential nominee frontrunner Donald Trump (27%).
The survey also showed that 72% percent of Muslim Super Tuesday voters reported “disapproving” of President Joe Biden’s handling of the Israeli government’s war in Gaza.
Fifty-five percent of American Muslims who voted in the Democratic primary reported voting to renominate President Biden as the Democratic party’s presidential nominee, nearly even to the 25 percent who voted for an “other candidate” and 20 percent voted “uncommitted.” CAIR notes that Super Tuesday state primary ballots in Alabama, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Tennessee had “uncommitted,” “no preference,” or an equivalent option for voters to endorse.
CAIR recently announced a notable surge in the substantial representation of registered Muslim American voters nationwide, totaling 2.5 million individuals.
Responding to the exit poll results, CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert S. McCaw said:
“This primary season marks the continued rise of American Muslim voters, who have asserted their presence in our nation’s democratic process and ensured their voices are being heard. CAIR’s Super Tuesday exit poll shows American Muslim voters hold diverse perspectives, exercise political independence, and are deeply concerned about the ongoing genocide in Gaza. As November approaches, American Muslim voters are important political voices in key states, capable of deciding numerous races, including the presidency, and shaping the future of the nation.”
Last week, a CAIR and CAIR-Michigan exit poll of 527 Muslim voters who participated in Michigan’s presidential primary election found that 94 percent of American Muslims who voted in the Democratic primary voted “uncommitted.”
Key findings from the exit poll include:
Q1: Did you vote in today’s Super Tuesday presidential primary election?
- Yes: 65% (371)
- No: 34% (197)
Total Respondents: 568
Q2. Did you vote in the Democratic or Republican primary?
- Democratic Presidential Primary: 68% (203)
- Republican Presidential Primary: 30% (97)
Total Respondents: 300
Q3.A: For Democratic Primary Voters: Which Democratic presidential candidate did you vote for:
- Joe Biden: 55% (105)
- Other Candidate: 25% (48)
- Uncommitted: 20% (39)
Total Respondents: 192
Q3.B: For Republican Primary Voters: Which Republican presidential candidate did you vote for?
- Donald Trump: 72% (68)
- Nikki Haley: 17% (16)
- Other Candidate: 5% (5)
- Uncommitted: 6% (6)
Total Respondents: 95
Q4.: Do you approve or disapprove of President Joe Biden’s handling of the Israeli government’s war in Gaza?
- Disapprove: 72% (200)
- Approve: 15% (43)
- Neither approve nor disapprove: 13% (36)
Total Respondents: 279
Q5. If there was a U.S. presidential election today, who would you vote for:
- Joe Biden: 36% (99)
- Donald Trump: 27% (76)
- Dr. Cornel West: 10% (28)
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: 6% (17)
- Jill Stein: 3% (8)
- Other: 18% (49)
Total Respondents: 277
Methodology: The survey utilized randomized double-name-matched American Muslim voter files acquired from Aristotle. It was automated and conducted via telephone landlines through the broadcast call provider CallFire.com, reaching Muslim respondents across all Super Tuesday states except Alaska. CAIR highlights that approximately 20-25% of Muslim American voters are African American, with three-quarters being U.S.-born. Additionally, factors such as assimilation, marriage, and conversion indicate that many African American, White, and Latino Muslims may not bear names conventionally linked with Muslim identity or fully captured in surveys of this nature.
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.
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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; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com