HinduVote 2026 Launches American Hindu Agenda, Focuses on Temple Safety, Religious Freedom and Political Representation

WASHINGTON— HinduVote, an initiative of the Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective (HinduPACT), has launched the American Hindu Agenda 2026 and its HinduVote 2026 platform, seeking to mobilize Hindu American voters around religious freedom, community safety, civil rights and political representation.

The initiative marks the fourth edition of HinduVote’s biennial civic engagement campaign, following similar efforts in 2020, 2022 and 2024. The online platform, available at elections2026.hinduvote.org, features voter education resources and a candidate questionnaire intended to encourage candidates to address issues affecting Hindu Americans.

In announcing the initiative, HinduPACT said American Hindus should be recognized as an organized civic constituency whose participation could influence closely contested elections and whose concerns warrant attention from candidates at every level of government.

The campaign comes amid concerns over threats against Hindu religious institutions, including a mass-shooting threat connected to Sri Venkateswara Swami Balaji Temple in Palatine, Illinois, and an attack on Shree Swaminarayan Vadtal Dham Hindu Mandir in Richmond Heights, Ohio, cited in the organization’s announcement.

HinduPACT said temples serve not only as places of worship but also as cultural, educational and community centers for families, senior citizens, young people and business owners. Protecting these institutions, it argued, is essential to ensuring the equal exercise of religious freedom under the First Amendment.

Grassroots Outreach Across More Than 15 States

According to HinduPACT, representatives of the organization have visited Hindu temples and communities in more than 15 states over the past three weeks, with additional outreach planned to promote voter registration, civic education and awareness of the American Hindu Agenda 2026.

The campaign seeks to encourage candidates to publicly address the agenda’s priorities and enable voters to assess their positions.

Surinder Dhar, vice president of HinduPACT and leader of the HinduVote initiative, said the campaign aims to translate the community’s presence into meaningful democratic participation.

“HinduVote 2026 is about translating the presence of American Hindus into effective democratic participation,” Dhar said.

He added that concerns about temple security, anti-Hindu hatred and equal treatment in public policy should not be treated as peripheral issues.

“In many close races, Hindu voters can make the difference, and this year voters will rightly ask which candidates understand the safety, dignity, and constitutional rights of our community,” he said.

Ajay Shah, founder and executive chair of HinduPACT, described the agenda as a civic initiative focused on issues affecting Hindu Americans rather than a sectarian effort.

“The American Hindu Agenda 2026 is a civic instrument, not a sectarian one,” Shah said, adding that informed, registered and organized voters could strengthen the community’s representation in public life.

Eight Key Areas in the American Hindu Agenda

The agenda outlines a range of policy priorities that HinduPACT wants candidates to address.

Among its principal demands are:

• Combating anti-Hindu bias: Support legislation condemning Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu bigotry, along with an FBI investigation into the causes and perpetrators of vandalism targeting Hindu temples and Mahatma Gandhi statues.
• Religious freedom and international accountability: Hold governments accused of persecuting religious minorities, including those of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, accountable, and consider withholding US assistance. The agenda also calls for Hindu representation in the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and other faith-related agencies.
• Immigration concerns: Support documented immigrant children who lose their dependent immigration status upon turning 21 while awaiting permanent residency.
• Education and employment: Promote merit-based educational and occupational opportunities and support the Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.
• Religious and cultural heritage: Facilitate the return of stolen Hindu artifacts held in museums and private collections to their countries of origin through legislation and enforcement.
• US-India relations: Strengthen a multifaceted partnership with India, which the organization describes as a democratic ally, while respecting its sovereignty.
• Free speech on campuses: Support free expression for all groups at universities and oppose public funding for academic departments and academics that HinduPACT says promote hatred against Hindus.

The agenda combines domestic civil-rights concerns with international religious freedom, immigration policy, higher education and foreign relations.

Candidate Questionnaire Aims to Strengthen Accountability

The HinduVote 2026 platform includes a candidate questionnaire and the full American Hindu Agenda 2026. HinduPACT said the tools are intended to help voters understand candidates’ positions and encourage elected officials and candidates to engage directly with Hindu American communities.

The organization also pointed to federal hate-crime reporting as part of the broader context for its campaign, arguing that anti-Hindu bias and threats against religious institutions warrant greater attention from law enforcement and policymakers.

The launch reflects a broader effort by advocacy organizations to encourage communities to participate in elections through voter registration, policy education and direct engagement with candidates.

Whether the agenda translates into specific policy commitments will depend on how candidates respond and how voters use the platform during the election cycle.

HinduVote is an initiative of HinduPACT, a US-based advocacy organization focused on the civil rights, policy concerns and civic participation of American Hindus. HinduPACT, formally known as the Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective, works on policy research, human rights, voter education and grassroots advocacy related to the Hindu American community.