NEW YORK (Nov. 12, 2025) — Voter turnout among Indo-Caribbean and South Asian New Yorkers surged by 350% in this year’s general election, marking one of the most significant increases among any demographic group in city history. The surge helped propel Zohran Mamdani to victory in the New York City mayoral race on Nov. 4.
Mamdani, who won with support from a multiracial, working-class coalition, was backed early by DRUM Beats, a civic engagement organization representing South Asian and Indo-Caribbean communities. Bangladeshi voter participation quadrupled, with nearly half of all registered Bangladeshi voters casting ballots.
While South Asians and Muslims account for about 7% of the city’s registered voters, they made up roughly 15% of total votes cast in the 2025 general election, according to DRUM Beats.
“Having endorsed Zohran from last year, we reached hundreds of thousands of South Asian and Indo-Caribbean New Yorkers who turned out in historic and record numbers for this election,” said Jagpreet Singh, political director of DRUM Beats. “This campaign resonated with working-class and immigrant voters who have never been spoken to by the political establishment.”
In September 2024, DRUM Beats leaders from Bangladeshi, Indian, Guyanese, Pakistani, Punjabi, Nepali, Tibetan, and Trinidadian communities endorsed Mamdani after a multiday review process. The group joined other early endorsers, including CAAAV Voice, New York Communities for Change, the Democratic Socialists of America, and Jewish Voice for Peace Action.
Since Mamdani’s campaign launched, DRUM Beats volunteers have knocked on more than 18,000 doors, made over 66,000 phone calls, and reached about 700,000 voters in neighborhoods such as Jackson Heights, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park, Kensington, and Jamaica. The group also coordinated ethnic media outreach in Punjabi, Urdu, Bangla, Nepali, Hindi, and Creolese, reaching an estimated 1.4 million people.
The record turnout represents a milestone for immigrant and Muslim communities that have long been politically marginalized, especially in the aftermath of 9/11. DRUM Beats said Mamdani’s campaign strategy directly addressed the concerns of working-class and immigrant families, emphasizing affordability and inclusion.
The election results, the group said, show the growing political power of New Yorkers who have been historically overlooked.
**About DRUM Beats NYC:**
DRUM Beats NYC, a sibling organization of Desis Rising Up & Moving (DRUM), organizes working-class Indo-Caribbean and South Asian communities to increase civic participation and push for systemic political change.
https://newsindiatimes.com/indo-caribbean-south-asian-voter-turnout-jumps-350-in-2025-nyc-election/
