WASHINGTON, DC – A survey released by a leading American Muslim civil rights group on Wednesday showed 95 percent of eligible Muslim voters turned out at the midterm polls, in an affirmation of the strength of their political voice.

“The high turnout of Muslim voters and the election of Muslims and members of other minority communities nationwide are an affirmation of the strength and diversity of our political system and a rebuke to the Trump administration’s divisive and fear-based policies,” said Nihad Awad, National Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in a statement sent to AboutIslam.net.

“It was obvious that many young people who voted Tuesday were concerned about the direction of our nation and wished to make their voices heard in their local community and in Washington, DC.”

CAIR released the results of its “American Muslim Voters and the 2018 Midterm Election” exit poll on Wednesday, November 7.

According to the survey, seventy-eight percent of Muslim voters cast ballots for Democratic Party candidates and 17 percent for Republican Party candidates.

CAIR’s survey results were drawn from a random sample telephone survey of 1,027 American Muslim registered voters conducted by an independent polling firm.

Survey participants were drawn from a database of more than 250,000 Muslim voter households.

Calls were conducted on the evening of November 6. Respondents included 650 men and 377 women from across the nation.

Tuesday’s elections were a huge success for Muslim candidates as well after two Muslim women were elected for the first time to Congress.

A number of Muslims also won seats in city councils, while Keith Ellison, who rose to national prominence as the first Muslim elected to Congress, was elected Minnesota attorney general on Tuesday.