A national voter registration campaign aimed at Muslim American voters is set to hold events on Friday, September 18, across more than 15 states, including New York, New Jersey, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, California, Tennessee, Georgia, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
The effort, known as National Muslim Voter Registration Day, is organized by MPower Change, a Muslim nonprofit cofounded by activist Linda Sarsour. The group describes itself as working to build “a mass movement of diverse U.S. Muslims and allies ready to fight for a future free from Islamophobia and white supremacy” and says on its website that it is “rooted in the Islamic faith” while mobilizing supporters around racial, social and economic justice campaigns.
MPower Change launched the registration initiative in 2018 to encourage Muslim American participation in elections. The organization says thousands of voters have registered through the campaign since then. Organizers describe the project as nonpartisan voter education and civic engagement.
Sarsour highlighted recent political gains for Muslim candidates in a statement announcing this year’s push.
“It has been a historic year for our community at the ballot box – from helping to elect New York City’s first Muslim mayor to other Muslim candidates poised to make history,” Sarsour said. “This didn’t happen overnight. We began this work 10 years ago, and now we are building on this momentum across the country, especially in states like Michigan and Florida where the stakes are so high.”
Her mention of Michigan and Florida comes as both states host closely watched U.S. Senate races. In Michigan, Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who has been described in one media report as a longtime associate of Sarsour dating back to his unsuccessful 2018 run for governor, faces Republican Mike Rogers.
In Florida, Sarsour has voiced support for Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon, who is running against Republican incumbent Sen. Ashley Moody. In a post on Facebook, Sarsour praised Nixon’s record of community organizing.
“Angie Nixon doesn’t just court communities when she’s running for office. She builds year round… She didn’t start fighting for Palestinians because she was running for US Senate – she was an ally and willful accomplice as she calls it when it was NOT popular. Angie was outspent 16 to 1. She won because of who she is, what she stands for and how hard she works. It’s now all hands on deck for Angie Nixon.”
Friday’s registration events are part of a broader effort by MPower Change to expand Muslim voter turnout ahead of the midterm elections, with organizers pointing to Michigan and Florida as particularly high-stakes contests this cycle.
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