Around 4,000 US citizens in Massachusetts have registered to vote in the elections this November. MIRA, Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, an organization that has been helping the immigrants and refugees over the past 25 years, has registered a large number of voters this year. Representatives of MIRA had attended around 20 naturalization ceremonies and helped the new citizens of the United States to register to vote.
Organizing Director of MIRA, Marcony Almeida said that they always wanted to help the new citizens to represent their interests and also to portray the interests of the other immigrants, through their votes.
Around 12 percent of the overall voter population of Massachusetts comprises of new citizens, according to the immigration policy Center. In the year 2010, Massachusetts had more number of undocumented immigrants and there were around 320,000 Green Card holders, in the state. Reports from the US Department of Homeland Security states that out of the 320,000 permanent residents, more than 180,000 of them were eligible for US citizenship, but they had not applied for US citizenship.
Most of them are still unaware of US citizenship and have a notion that it is a very long process, but they fail to understand that the naturalization application process will be completed within six months from the date of application and they can soon become citizens of the country.
Once they become citizens, they can register to vote. Around 89 percent of the foreign born Americans voted in the elections in the year 2008. Reports also state that the number of foreign born American voters is increasing.
MIRA had contacted thousands of new citizens and had encouraged them to register to vote in the elections, this November. MIRA says that the votes of the naturalized American citizens are more important and those votes will play a major role in deciding the new president of the United States.
However, immigrants have been supporting both the political parties over the years but Democrats have drawn the attention of most of them. Many believe that the foreign born Americans are more likely to support the candidate who will support immigrant amnesty.