Muslim Votes Matter plans to urge voters to rank Labor candidates ahead of One Nation in Victoria’s lower-house districts before the Nov. 28, 2026, election, The Guardian reported.
The Guardian also reported that the group intends to prepare how-to-vote cards for both houses of Parliament and place volunteers at polling booths in Greenvale, Narre Warren South and Tarneit. The cards would favor independents and minor parties while keeping Labor out of the top position, the newspaper said.
Victoria’s Legislative Assembly has 88 districts. The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) says voters number candidates in order of preference but do not have to follow a how-to-vote card.
Muslim Votes Matter national spokesperson Ghaith Krayem told The Guardian the group was wary that an anti-Labor campaign could increase One Nation’s influence. “As a community, we certainly don’t want to increase One Nation’s influence,” he said.
The Guardian reported that Muslim communities remain unhappy with Labor over Palestine, freedom of speech and protest. Krayem identified Palestine and Gaza as the community’s leading concern. The newspaper said the Victoria plan differs from the group’s 2025 federal campaign, when it supported Greens and independent candidates amid objections to Labor’s handling of Gaza.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures from the 2021 Census show Islam as the religious affiliation of 11,346 people in the Narre Warren South state electoral division, or 13.1%, and 19,578 people in the Tarneit state electoral division, or 14.6%. Across Victoria, 4.2% of people reported Islam as their religious affiliation. Those figures describe affiliation, not voting intentions.
The VEC lists the nomination deadline as noon AEDT Monday, Nov. 9 (8 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 8). The state election is scheduled for Nov. 28, 2026.
