More Muslim voters register as North Texas mosques become civic engagement hubs

Voter registration efforts at mosques have grown sharply as congregants say they want their voices heard.

Amid the bustle of Friday prayer service at the Islamic Center of Frisco, some congregants are stopping for something beyond worship: registering to vote.

North Texas Votes, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group, said it registered 88 people at North Texas mosques last year. This year, the organization said it has already registered more than 700.

“We're just there to help people have access to voting. Help them figure out where do they need to go to vote,” North Texas Votes co-founder Bonnie Moore said.

The Islamic Center of Frisco is one of several mosques where the organization is working to register voters across North Texas.

“We're in 21 mosques today. So, I expect at least a couple hundred more, maybe more,” Moore said.

Saher Selod, research director for the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, said the increase in civic engagement among Muslim Americans was not surprising.

“It absolutely makes sense to me,” Selod said.

Research from Selod's organization found 60% of eligible American Muslims reported being registered to vote in 2016. By 2024, that figure had risen to 85%.

Selod said the trend coincides with growing anti-Muslim rhetoric.

“From 2022 to 2025, there was a real uptick in Islamophobic sentiments in the general public,” Selod said.

In Texas, Selod said this election cycle feels especially different.

“I've never seen the kind of rhetoric that we're seeing come out during this campaign cycle,” Selod said.

Some voters in Frisco said the moment is pushing them to become more involved and use their voices at the ballot box.

“I think we're at a very important moment in time right now,” voter Amaan Mohammed said.

“And I feel like this election specifically is like a sort of way for us as citizens to use our voices as leverage to actually make a difference that we want to make,” Mohammed said.

For voter Zahin Rahman, that engagement means showing up on Election Day.

“I feel like we’re going in one direction and if you want to go in a more positive direction, I feel like it’s very important for everybody to show up and vote,” Rahman said.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication.