BBCMillions of people immigrate to the United States each year, and an increasing number of people become U.S. citizens and gain the right to vote.
One in 10 voters is a naturalized citizen, a record high, according to a recent Pew Research Center study.
The BBC spoke to several naturalized people who will be voting in this election. Some of them are voting for the first time, while others have been voting for years.
We asked them about their experiences participating in US elections. We start with voters, who have a lot to say about campaign rhetoric and fundraising.
This new US citizen was born in Melbourne, Australia and currently resides in Houston, Texas. Although he considers himself a libertarian-leaning independent, he does not yet know who he will support in his first election and may leave the presidential column blank.
To be perfectly frank, I am completely appalled that a potential leader of this country could raise $1 billion (£770 million) from donors.
Money in politics completely terrifies me, and the fact that it tends to be extreme, at least in rhetoric, whether it manifests in action or not, is a bit different (than in Australia).
There is a difference between how people who came to a country view politics and those who were born in that country.
I think people who come here quickly recognize the difference between rhetoric and action. I think some people get caught up in the rhetoric.
The Democrat lives in New Hampshire and is originally from Wolverhampton, England. She became a US citizen in the early 2000s and supports Kamala Harris.
One of the big concerns for people who didn’t grow up in the United States is spending on political campaigns. There are regulations in the UK that limit spending. There’s so much more you can do with that money.
I’m also concerned about the localization of decision-making. I can kind of understand the rationale for making decisions locally, but when you get down to the school board level, I would like to see educated professionals making more impactful decisions.
The Electoral College really surprised me how it works and that each person’s vote is not of equal value. I think we need to reverse that.
The Republican has already voted for Trump in Sacramento, California. He retired and immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1957.
In my opinion, the previous administration ruined our country. We voted early, so I’m more excited than nervous.
I think the main thing[that surprised me about American politics]was the total lack of accountability of politicians regarding immigration and the economy, especially with the previous administration. I think it was the worst thing this country has ever experienced.
The other is the dispute between the parties. It’s been years since Democrats and Republicans got along. They had America in mind first. Politically speaking, it’s an internal conflict right now. Terrible in my opinion.
This registered Democrat lives in Florida but is still deciding who to support. He is originally from Rwanda and became a U.S. citizen in October, making this his first U.S. election.
I’m still waiting to hear from both candidates about their positions on issues that are very important to me. Once these issues are clear, it’s time to decide who to vote for.
One of them is immigration. As an immigrant who went through the immigration system when I came to this country, this is very important to me. So far, I don’t think either candidate has made it clear what they will do about immigration. I don’t like policies that destroy families.
Because immigrants come from different backgrounds, we feel that they can bring different opinions to how democracy should work. For example…the electoral system is unfair to me.
The independent voter is originally from India and immigrated to the United States nearly 18 years ago. The self-employed content creator obtained U.S. citizenship in 2019 and plans to support Harris.
We are actually nervous (about the election). A few of our friends were just talking about it and one of them was so worried about the future that she actually started crying. There is great uncertainty and things are still going downhill. Everyone is scared about this.
I’m voting for Kamala Harris for two obvious reasons. That is because she is from India and because she is a woman.
Women need to take on leadership roles and that is a good thing, it will put her on a pedestal. I feel like she is someone who is not aggressive and thinks smartly and logically to address some of the common problems that plague American democracy.
The Democrat was born in the Philippines and was a Korean citizen before immigrating to the United States when he was 10 years old. He will vote for Mr. Harris.
Immigration has been on my mind mainly because I think there’s this strange story going on in the United States…People like Donald Trump are the ones who have the best and brightest people in the United States. He says he only wants to bring him.
If you look at the entire history of the United States, one of the characteristics of immigration is not who has the most degrees or who is the most educated. Resilience and resourcefulness are qualities that I believe are hallmarks of American immigrants, and of America as a whole.
Many of them were down on their luck and had almost nothing in their pockets. The same was true when my mother and I moved here, and I think that resourcefulness and willingness to climb the ladder is what makes America great.
The university professor grew up in Canada and became a U.S. citizen six years ago. An independent, he voted by mail for the presidential candidate representing the American Solidarity Party, a Christian Democratic Party.
I didn’t grow up with a specific American political identity, so I didn’t have any core attachments or tons of assumptions about “I’m a Democrat” or “I’m a Republican.”
My own faith probably has more influence on how I see the world than any political party. At the end of the day, that’s the lens through which I really evaluate political parties, and I feel like both are lacking, but I also feel like both are strong in certain areas.
One of the things I’ve learned over time is that while it’s important, it’s a broader system of checks and balances and a way to ensure future stability economically and politically. is. I have a lot of faith in this system. I love living in this country and am never afraid of the sky falling.
Ahead of voting day, BBC Voter Voices hears from Americans across the country about what’s important to them.
Are you an American voter? Want to get involved? Apply here to be featured in a future BBC article.
Do you live outside the United States and have questions about elections? Let us know here or use the form below.
