HinduPACT

Category: 2022 Elections

  • Press Release: HinduPACT Launches HinduVote.Org Website Just in Time for Midterms

    Press Release: HinduPACT Launches HinduVote.Org Website Just in Time for Midterms

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    October 12, 2022

    WASHINGTON, D.C – Following months of research, dedication and perseverance, HinduPACT has officially launched its HinduVote.org website to help voters select Federal candidates based on their support for issues that are important to the Hindu diaspora.

    The comprehensive website, the first of its kind in the history of the American Hindu community, consists of location-based listing of candidates for the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, biographical and social media details of the candidates, responses from the candidates on a Hindu-focused questionnaire, and HinduPACT’s assessment of legislative votes that are deemed of importance by the incumbents and federal candidates.  

    The website uses the power of crowdsourcing to express the sentiment of the Hindu community by providing the constituents with an opportunity to rate the candidates based on the positions they have taken.

    All Federal incumbents and candidates will receive the questionnaires this week. This questionnaire covers the issue of growing haten campaigns against Hindus across the country. It also addresses concerns about U.S. foreign policy that affect Hindu communities across the world. 

    Rakhi Israni, Director of Legal for HinduPACT, said,

    “The American Hindu community is peaceful, affluent and productive. They are, in many ways, the model community in any society in which they reside. They have held massive economic power in their hands for sometime now. This HinduVote initiative is the first step in claiming the political power that they should have been afforded a while ago.” 

    Convener of HinduPACT, Ajay Shah, said,

    “There are six million Hindus in America and an additional six million followers of dharmic traditions (Buddhist, Jain and Sikhs).  Conservatively, we estimate that around 5% of the voters are the followers of dharmic traditions. In battleground states, and in close races elsewhere, these voters can decisively impact the outcome. HinduVote.org is a community resource to inform and educate the Hindu community and to ensure a Congress that understands, respects and fulfills the aspirations of the American Hindu community.”

    HinduPACT Executive Director Utsav Chakrabarti said, 

    “As the fastest growing immigrant population in the U.S. amongst all religious groups, American Hindus now constitute one of the most decisive voting groups in at least five states. That means many close Senate races will be decided by the Hindu voter. Because of concentrated voters in many districts, a lot more House seats will be decided by Hindu voters. HinduVote.org will change the way constituents evaluate, engage with and ultimately vote for candidates.”

  • Article: The Hindu vote will carry historic weight in the midterm elections

    Article: The Hindu vote will carry historic weight in the midterm elections

    By: Utsav Chakrabarti. September 08, 2022 

    The 2022 midterm elections are arguably the most consequential in setting the stage for the future of the American Hindu diaspora’s involvement in deciding elections.

    To understand the Hindu community in America, one needs to look no further than the last presidential election. The wants and needs of American Hindus, an important voting bloc, have only intensified during this period with the lack of adequate representation. What this means is that people can anticipate a more historic American Hindu turnout this November than in any year past.

    The earliest Hindu immigration to the United States was recorded in the 1600s. In 2018, it was estimated that there were 2.5 million Hindus in America. Today, it is believed there are close to 6 million Hindus in the U.S., accounting for about 2% of the total population. This figure is expected to grow exponentially over the next decade.

    As executive director of the Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective USA, I interact with lawmakers and everyday constituents to communicate what our community is seeking from our elected officials. Part of this includes my involvement in creating the Hindu Voter Guide. The 2022 Hindu Voter Guide will help voters determine the compatibility of each candidate with universal Hindu values and the candidates’ views on policies that are important to American Hindus. It serves as a tool to help constituents be more judicious in their selection of candidates.

    As part of this, my team at HinduPACT and I have developed a series of questions over the last two years that address the concerns and hopes of the American Hindu communities and the expectations they have from their candidates. It also examines the intra-community dynamics, based on my interactions with hundreds of people in a cross-section of thought-leaders within the community. The questions cut across party lines and address the needs of Hindus who are registered with both the Democratic and Republican parties as well as unregistered constituents. HinduPACT is actively working to drive up the number of Hindu voter registrants.

    As the largest and fastest-growing diaspora community, Hindus are becoming critical in deciding the elections in Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan, and Virginia. The American Hindu vote has been more prominently on display during the last two election cycles and is expected to play an even bigger role in the midterm elections, particularly as the U.S.-India relationship is highlighted as tensions persist between America and China. Chief among things sought from American Hindu constituents is a candidate who will protect American Hindus’ constitutional and civil rights and honor their contributions across the U.S. Statistics show that over 80% of highly skilled immigrants who are eligible for green cards are Hindu. This is an important part of the workforce and should continue to be protected.

    Another important facet that Hindu voters are seeking in their representatives is that they will ensure that textbooks and instructional materials that promote Hinduphobia and reflect misrepresentation of the Hindu faith in publicly funded school textbooks and educational materials are removed in consultation with American Hindu organizations.

    Lastly, India is a strategic U.S. ally. Hindu voters are seeking candidates who will support India’s role in a new vision for the Indo-Pacific to counterterrorism and work toward replacing China with India as a global manufacturer and a key component in our supply chain so we can advance our shared security and economic interests in the region.

    With this sizable population on the rise, it is important for incumbents and future legislators to pay close attention and appeal to the Hindu demographic. Their candidacy and victory may depend on it.

    Utsav Chakrabarti is the executive director of HinduPACT, a nonprofit policy research initiative based in Washington, D.C.