“I’m a first-time voter, I’ve been in the U.S. for 5 years and I’ve been granted this opportunity to vote and you know this is one of the responsibilities you get once you become a U.S. citizen, that you get to vote and I was so happy that I’m able to make sure I’m counted in the process.”
“When you become a citizen, these are among the first few rights that you get—being able to vote in a federal election and to me, it’s important because my children are U.S. citizens, my spouse is a U.S. citizen. So, if I was not going to be allowed to vote, then I’ll be living in a country where I do not participate in the process of decision making. And that is very important, because being able to vote in a federal election, I’m able to decide what the presidency looks like. I’m able to choose my governor. The people who represent me. I need to vote people who represent what my family values. So that’s why I think it’s an important thing for each household to get out there and vote for the people they believe in who are going to represent what they stand for.”
“Think of it from an immigrant perspective. A few months ago, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to be part of the decision, 2024. But here I am already casting my decision. That to me is very special. Yeah. And at the very instant moment that I was returning my ballot, I wish they had so many cameras to show me doing the casting of the vote.”
“I’m more inclined to do early voting and mailing, simply because I think, you know, voting is to me, it’s an intimate process.”
“I always saw the voting process in my former country as a rigorous process that had more barriers but I realized that that is not the case here. I think it is more straight forward. You walk in, there’s somebody who greets you and they just check your ID and they print you a ballot and you have your small box where you make your decision and within three minutes you’re out. Whereas in other places it would take probably 2 hours, just to make sure your voice matters.”
“It’s a sweet feeling that finally I’m able to be part of the decision making in what the government is able to do for we the newcomers and the other folks overseas, and you know, I think with my one vote I have confidence that I have an impact on how humanitarian work is going to be viewed from the governments’ lens and what foreign policies is going to look like.”
“I’m able to decide my future now and the future of my children. Making sure that my voice reflects in what I want my children to have in terms of how they live in the U.S. in the near future.”