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Muslims Mobilize Communities to VOTE

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As Election Day approaches, presidential candidates scramble to reach voters in a last ditch effort to sway votes in their favor. Though Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush leads the polls, candidates continue to look toward American Muslim voters in the final stretch before the elections.

There are an estimated 6 million Muslims in the United States, with the largest populations in California, Michigan, New York, Illinois and New Jersey. According to pollster John Zogby, more than 62 percent are registered to vote, which is higher than the national average. American Muslims make up large concentrations in key battleground states like California, Illinois and Michigan, and represent a swing vote that candidates have already taken notice of. Muslim leaders hope this election year the American Muslim community will emerge as a new and influential voting bloc.

On October 23 at a press conference in Washington, D.C., the American Muslim Political Coordinating Council PAC announced its endorsement of Bush. With this endorsement came the first ever creation of a Muslim bloc vote and the emergence of the Muslim community as active participants in the American political process. The organization cited Bush's outreach to the Muslim community and his stand on the issue of secret evidence as reasons for the endorsement. The AMPCC is a coalition of four major Muslim political organizations -- the American Muslim Council, American Muslim Alliance, Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim Public Affairs Council.

"Governor Bush took the initiative to meet with local and national representatives of the Muslim community. He also promised to address Muslim concerns on domestic and foreign policy issues," said Agha Saeed, head of AMPCC-PAC.

During the second televised debate with Vice President Al Gore, Bush scored points with Muslim voters when he challenged the use of secret evidence by officials in the Immigration and Naturalization Service. American Muslims believe secret evidence used in INS deportation hearings is unconstitutional. Many of the victims of secret evidence have been Muslims.

The American Muslim community took extra efforts to encourage Muslims to take part in the political process. On Sept. 15th activists held American Muslim Voter Registration Day to encourage Muslims to register to vote and get involved in the American political process. Voter registration tables were set up at mosques and Islamic centers nationwide. The American Muslim Alliance plans to hold statewide ‘get-out-the-vote’ campaigns in the swing states of Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Florida.