Why Vote?

In any given election, it is critical that Canadian Muslims make their voice heard by voting. When Canadian Muslims vote, not only do we improve the likelihood that our elected officials and policymakers will reflect our needs and concerns in their decision-making, but we also strengthen Canadian democracy by ensuring that the final outcome is a truer reflection of Canadian society.

While these reasons for voting ring true in any given election, here are some reasons why Canadian Muslims should vote in the 2021 federal election in particular:

A Historic Moment: the 2021 Federal Election

The 2021 federal election represents a historic crossroads for Canadian Muslims and Canadian society at large. As a once per century type of event, the pandemic has already and will continue to significantly shape the policies of today and tomorrow. Healthcare, the economy, privacy rights, the environment, housing, and immigration are just a few of the issues at stake. Whoever Canadians choose to lead the country on September 20 will be responsible for managing Canada’s response to the pandemic as well as the post-pandemic roadmap, so it's pivotal that Canadian Muslims have their say in this electoral process.

The Electoral Power of Canadian Muslims

Canadian Muslims wield a great deal of electoral power — if we get out and vote. Our latest projections have shown that in the 2021 federal election, the total amount of potential Muslim voters will outnumber the predicted margin of victory in approximately 107 ridings, representing almost 1/3rd of all ridings in Canada.* This means that Canadian Muslims are in the unique position to decide who will govern and whether they form a majority or minority government. Politicians of all stripes and levels of government have taken notice of this trend.

*Based on Statistics Canada custom tabulation and projection, 2019 Elections Canada voter turnout data, and 338canada.com projections.

The Fight Against Islamophobia

This election also comes at a time when the fight against Islamophobia - on the heels of heinous incidents like the Quebec City Mosque shooting and the June's London terror attack - is more a part of the national discourse than ever before. Last April, an important report titled Layered Suspicion released in collaboration by University of Toronto's Institute of Islamic Studies and the National Council of Canadian Muslims made headlines across the country for its critical analysis of Islamophobia in the audit process of the Canada Revenue Agency. Shortly after in July, political leaders across the country from all parties and levels of government attended the first ever National Summit on Islamophobia, where they denounced Islamophobia and pledged to take various degrees of action to combat Islamophobia, including reforming the CRA’s charity audit process and providing funding for Muslim community projects. Although these are positive first steps, Canadian Muslims must make their voices heard in this election to ensure that combatting Islamophobia remains at the forefront of the national discourse and that more concrete steps are taken going forward.

See the entire Get Out The Vote Video Series HERE