Year-round civic engagement helps fuel a historic jump in voter turnout across Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Melvindale, Canton, and Hamtramck.
In a historic surge for the 2026 General Election, Arab American voters showed up in anchor cities and across Michigan. ACCESS, the nation's most comprehensive Arab American-led nonprofit organization, was on the ground every step of the way to get out the vote.
On election day, The ACCESS Civic Engagement team mobilized over 78 volunteers across 88 precincts in six cities, covering 61 voting locations and logging 1,071 volunteer hours on Election Day alone. In the months leading up to Election Day, ACCESS made 566,090 phone calls and sent 335,398 texts to voters across Southeast Michigan. Canvassers knocked on doors and reached 18,516 voters at their homes, while 14,632 more were reached at over 127 community events. A dedicated senior citizen cohort helped bring older community members into the effort alongside younger voters. More than 8,000 community members signed pledge cards committing to vote, and digital outreach generated more than 1 million touchpoints across social media platforms.
Another core part of our effort towards increased civic participation was accessibility. On Election Day, ACCESS’ election protection program included bilingual volunteers and provided 7 translators at the request of city clerk offices across Southeast Michigan.
“Year-round, month-to-month, and day-to-day, our Civic Engagement team works with community members on the ground because we know the impact it has,” said Shams Al-Badry, Civic Engagement Manager at ACCESS. “Our community showed up because they were informed, prepared, and knew their vote would make a difference. Throughout the voting period, our election protection volunteers were at polling sites across six cities to ensure voters were able to cast their ballot freely, securely, with confidence and without intimidation. These numbers reflect the trust our community places in ACCESS and the collective power of the people we serve.”
Arab Americans in Dearborn and across southeast Michigan represent one of the most concentrated voting blocs in the country, and this General Election showed us what sustained, community-centered mobilization can produce.
“Arab Americans in Michigan have the voting power to shape decisions for our greater community. Our voice is one that deserves to be heard in rooms where decisions are being made without us,” said Rima Meroueh, Director of the National Network for Arab American Communities, a national institution of ACCESS. “The only way to accomplish that is to vote in large numbers and demand representation. That’s how we produce real results and elect candidates who reflect and fight for our priorities.”
As we move beyond the General Election, the work shifts from getting out the vote to preparing community members for the next cycle and holding elected officials accountable. ACCESS and NNAAC will take stock of what this election showed us and carry those lessons forward. A strong community is built, not given, and this election was another chapter in our strides towards a more just and equitable future.
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About ACCESS
Founded in 1971 in Dearborn, Michigan, ACCESS is the most comprehensive Arab American nonprofit organization in the nation, reaching millions across all backgrounds through its programs, services, and institutions. We are dedicated to building community strength to create a just and equitable society. Our mission is to advance the health, economic, social, and cultural well-being of all communities regionally and nationwide.
We drive lasting impact through ACCESS and our national institutions: the Arab American National Museum (AANM), the Center for Arab American Philanthropy (CAAP), the Center for Arab Narratives (CAN), and the National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC).
About NNAAC
NNAAC (National Network for Arab American Communities), a national institution of ACCESS, is a consortium of 36 member organizations across 13 states. Established in 2004, NNAAC strengthens Arab American communities from the neighborhood to the nation by building the capacity of its member organizations, advancing policies that reflect shared values and identity, and fostering growth pathways for Arab American youth. NNAAC serves as a partner, platform, and amplifier for Arab American civic life across the United States.