2026 California Voter Guide - CAIR

Nov 15, 2026

2026 California Voter Guide from CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) explains why Muslim voters in California should participate in the November midterm election. It discusses the urgent crisis in Gaza, attacks on civil rights and First Amendment protections, and rising Islamophobia and discrimination. The guide links federal funding cuts to threats to community health centers and legal services, and frames voting as collective resistance, community protection, and political accountability. It also outlines voter registration information and state proposition and congressional scorecards.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

INTRODUCTION

Our Voter Guide Goals

Issues Affecting Muslims in This Election

Genocide in Gaza & Global Injustice

Attacks on Our Civil Rights

Heightened Islamophobia and Discrimination

Our Collective Issues

Building Muslim Power

Frequently Asked Questions

2026CALIFORNIAVOTER GUDE CAIR CALIFORNIA TABLE OF CONTENTS 02 Introduction 07 Voter Registration 10 State Propositions:Descriptionsand CAIR-CAs Position 14 CaliforniaState Legislator Scorecards 21 California Congressional Scorecards Frequently Asked Questions:Understanding the 29 General Election # INTRODUCTION Are you ready to make your voice heardin the 2026midtermelection?This Voter Guide provides California Muslims with theanalysis,context,and tools needed to make informed,principledchoices at the ballot box this November. Over the last several years,our communities have navigatedanincreasingly hostile political landscape.Internationally,the ongoingassault on Palestine has devastated Gazaand the broader region,funded and sustained by billions of U.S.tax dollars despiteoverwhelming public opposition.Domestically,that catastrophe hassparked severe rollbacks on civil liberties and suppression of freespeech across our schools,universities,and workplaces.Muslim,Arab,Palestinian,and allied communities have faced intense doxing,federal scrutiny,digital surveillance,and administrative censorshipsimply for voicing dissent. At the state and local levels,federal funding cuts threatencommunity health centers,legal services,and the vital social safetynets relied upon by low-income and immigrant households.InCalifornia,state budget shortfalls mean these federal deficits havenot been backfilled-putting community institutions,immigrantlegal defense,and basic services on the line. American Muslims cannot afford to sit this election out.Our vote isnot an endorsement of an unjust status quo;it is a necessary tool ofcollective resistance,community protection,and politicalaccountability.This November,the California chapter of the Councilon American-Islamic Relations(CAIR-CA)is mobilizing Muslimvoters across the state to assert our collective powerand standuncompromisingly for justice. # Our Voter Guide Goals 01Address the issuesaffecting AmericanMuslims in this election.02Use voting asatoolin our effortsto resist oppression. # Issues Affecting Muslimsin This Election Genocide in Gaza &Global Injustice:The ongoing genocide inGazais the most urgent issue defining our political moment.Heavilyfunded byU.S.tax dollars,this crisis has mobilized millions ofAmericans who are appalled to see billions inpublic funding directedtoward foreign military campaigns while domestic social programsface steep cuts.American Muslims,alongside a growing majority ofthe American public,continue to demand animmediate andpermanent ceasefire,acomplete arms embargo,andan end to theillegal occupation of Palestine.In California,we are committed toprotecting the right of community members to organize,boycott,and speak out for international human rights without governmentinterference or retaliation. Attacks on Our Civil Rights:Advocacy for Palestinian human rightshas laid bare the erosion of constitutional protections at home.Overthe past two years,we have seen unprecedented attacks on FirsttAmendment rights.In K-12public schools and on college campuses,students and educators advocating for Palestine face targetedharassment,curriculum censorship,disciplinary hearings,andaggressive police responses.Simultaneously,federal and stateagencies have expanded digital surveillance andissued broadsubpoenas to monitor Muslim and allied activists online.Defendingfree speech,academic freedom,data privacy,and the right topeaceful assembly remain fundamental battles forour civil libertiesin 2026. Heightened lslamophobia and Discrimination:Standing firm forjustice has turned students,workers,and community members intofrequent targets of hate.CAIR offices across the country havedocumented record-breaking numbers of anti-Muslim andanti-Palestinian bias incidents,workplace retaliation,schoolyardbullying,and discriminatory profiling by law enforcement.Defendingour legal rights,addressing institutional bias,and holdingaccountable those who promote Islamo

FAQs

Why does the guide emphasize voting in the 2026 midterm election?

The guide presents voting as a critical way to seek justice, ensure Muslim voices are represented, and resist harmful policies, including actions connected to Gaza.

What key issues does the guide focus on for Muslim voters in California?

It highlights Gaza and global injustice, erosion of civil rights and First Amendment protections, and heightened Islamophobia and discrimination affecting students, workers, and communities.

How does the guide connect federal funding and state budget shortfalls to community needs?

It states that federal funding cuts to healthcare and immigrant services have not been backfilled by the state budget, increasing strain on safety-net clinics and legal assistance programs.

Nov 15, 2026

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