FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Valentina Pereda, [email protected]
Washington, DC | www.adc.org | September 17, 2024 – The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and Molitico are teaming up to launch a comprehensive voter registration and turnout initiative – Arab.Vote. This bilingual voter tool will focus on mobilizing Arab American voters in key battleground states like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, where their participation could swing the 2024 presidential election, and all elections to come.
“In the immediate aftermath of ADC’s ArabCon, the largest gathering of Arab American voters that took place in Dearborn, MI, last week – our community’s message to assembled leaders, elected officials, and allies was clear: the Arab American community must and will vote in November’s elections,” said Abed Ayoub, ADC’s Executive Director. “ While the ADC does not endorse candidates, our message to our members and Arab American voters remains: we must turn out to vote and make our presence known at the polls this November, and in every election to follow.”
The State of the Arab American Vote:
According to the national voter file, there are more than 2.3 million Arab Americans on the voting rolls. Arab American communities have some of the most robust voter registration numbers in the country, with 89% of eligible voters registered to vote.
However, despite impressive voter registration rates, turnout in the 2020 election could have been better, with only 54% registered voters turning out to vote – more than 11 points behind the national voter turnout rate of 66%.
Source: TargetSmart, September 17, 2024
Arab American Voters in Swing States:
In Michigan, at least 93% of the state’s more than 170,000 Arab American voters, and over 91% of Georgia’s nearly 64,000 voters are registered to vote. Arab American voters boasted a 91% voter registration rate in six key battleground states.
Source: TargetSmart, September 17, 2024
But voter turnaround rates tell a different story. In Michigan and Nevada, roughly 51% of registered voters participated in the 2020 election, while 56% of Arizona’s registered voters turned out to vote. These lower-than-average turnout numbers highlight the critical need for voter outreach and education.
Across these six battleground states, only 53% of eligible voters voted in 2020, representing over 176,000 votes that could tip the balance in close elections. Mobilizing these non-voters could prove decisive in states where the margins are expected to be razor-thin.
Undecided Voters: The Key to Victory in 2024
Despite Arab Americans being a deciding voting bloc in several swing states, many voters remain undecided. Many Arab Americans report feeling underrepresented by the major parties. A late July ADC/ Molitico survey of ADC members revealed Vice President Kamala Harris gaining broader support among Arab American voters compared to President Joe Biden, polling at 27.5%, while Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein leading Arab American voters with 45.3%. Despite Dr. Stein’s overall lead, nearly 18% of respondents remained undecided, leaving room for candidates like Harris to gain more support.
The Arab American Voter Project will:
Increase voter turnout by executing digital and text campaigns to provide Arab American voters with bilingual (English and Arabic) early vote and election day information and voter access resources. This effort will also focus on mail-in ballots and ballot chasing, which are critical to closing the voter turnout gap.
Engage undecided voters through town halls, community polls, and voter education campaigns to address the concerns of undecided Arab American voters.
Expand Voter Registration by targeting unregistered Arab Americans in key swing states through digital and text campaigns and supporting grassroots efforts with community partners.
With over 376,000 Arab American voters across battleground states like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, Arab American voters have the potential to tip the scales in an election that the margins will decide.