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Hindus and Midterms: Policy Research Group HinduPACT Launches Website to Help Hindu American Voters

Hindus and Midterms: Policy Research Group HinduPACT Launches Website to Help Hindu American Voters

  • HinduVote.org aims to help members of the community select federal candidates based on their support for issues that are important to the Hindu diaspora.

HinduPACT has launched its HinduVote.org website to help voters select federal candidates based on their support for issues that are important to the Hindu diaspora. HinduPACT is the initiative of the World Hindu Council of America (VHPA), the oldest, and one of the most prominent Hindu organizations in America.  

HinduPACT says the “comprehensive,” website is “the first of its kind in the history of the American Hindu community.” It consists of (a) “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 group says “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.

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

According to Ajay Shah, convener of HinduPACT, the website 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.” Noting that “there are six million Hindus in America and an additional six million followers of dharmic traditions (Buddhist, Jain and Sikhs),” he added that “an estimated 5% of the voters are the followers of dharmic traditions.” These voters “can decisively impact the outcome in battleground states, and in close races elsewhere.”

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HinduPACT Executive Director Utsav Chakrabarti added that Hindu Americans, “who are the fastest growing immigrant population in the U.S. amongst all religious groups are one of the most decisive voting groups in at least five states.” And that’s why “many close Senate races and a lot more House seats will be decided by the Hindu voter.” Thus, HinduVote.org “will change the way constituents evaluate, engage with and ultimately vote for candidates.”

HinduPACT legal director Rakhi Israni, calls the initiative “the first step in claiming the political power that they should have been afforded a while ago.”

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