PHOENIX, AZ – On Tuesday, April 23, local advocates, national coalitions, and newly naturalized voters gathered at the Arizona State Capitol (recording available here) to launch the New American Voters campaign, which aims to uplift the priorities of newly-naturalized voters in key states – including Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, and Pennsylvania – throughout this critical election year. The event titled “Naturalized and Ready to Vote” featured remarks from newly naturalized residents as well as leaders from Arizona Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander for Equity (AZ AANHPI for Equity), Arizona Center for Empowerment (ACE), Promise Arizona (PAZ), National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA), and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) as well as AZ local- Workers United of the Western States.
During the event, key speakers including Nicole Melaku, Executive Director of the National Partnership for New Americans, Amritha Karthikeyan from AZ AANHPI for Equity, Nejra Sumic from the We Are All America campaign, Petra Falcon from PAZ, and Alex Jurua, a green-card holder eligible for naturalization, came together to speak on the importance of New American Voters exercising their right to vote this year. The campaign aims to encourage eligible residents to naturalize – with 2 in 3 now qualifying for the reduced naturalization fee – and to empower newly-naturalized voters in swing states by highlighting their priorities through polling and ensuring their voices are heard in the upcoming election.
Said Nicole Melaku, NPNA executive director, “As we stand at the precipice of a pivotal election, we call upon all newly naturalized citizens to join us in exercising their right to vote, ensuring that their voices resonate powerfully in the halls of government. In launching the New American Voters campaign today in Arizona, we are igniting a beacon of hope and unity. This campaign recognizes the invaluable contributions of newly naturalized citizens to our nation and underscores their vital role in shaping our democracy. Together, we can affirm the enduring promise of America as a land of opportunity and inclusion.”
New American Voters have the potential to sway elections in key swing states like Arizona and must be considered a priority among candidates. Since the last presidential election in November 2020, an estimated 62,179 voting-age adults in Arizona and over 3.5 million voting-age adults nationwide have become newly naturalized citizens, per estimates by the U.S. Immigration Policy Center (USIPC) at UC San Diego. The number of Latine/Hispanic eligible voters has increased from 32.3 million in 2020 to a projected 36.2 million in November 2024, and In Arizona, Latine/Hispanic residents make up 32.5% of the state’s population.
Today, nearly 177,000 Arizona residents are eligible to naturalize, the majority of whom – approximately 160,598 residents – reside in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler area. The New American Voters campaign encourages all eligible Arizonans to take advantage of the new reduced fee for naturalization now available to a majority (71%) of eligible-to-naturalize American residents in time to register to vote this year.
“The voices of New American Voters enrich our democracy, and they must be welcomed and heard,” said Alma Couverthie, chief of programs & interim co-CEO for the League of Women Voters of the United States. “The League has declared 2024 the year of the first-time voter because it is critical to foster the transformative power of the newly naturalized citizens, as well as young voters, as they become participants in shaping our democracy. The League of Women Voters has registered hundreds of thousands of newly naturalized citizens to vote, and we are proud to stand in coalition with other powerful organizations representing these voters.”
“Together, new voters who are refugees and immigrants will make change in this election,” said Petra Falcon, executive director of Promise Arizona
Alejandra Gomez, executive director, Arizona Center for Empowerment, said, “There is no greater power or equalizer in a democracy than your right to vote. Whether you’ve been a US citizen for generations, or just a few months. You have an opportunity to make your voices heard in this pivotal 2024 election. It is a fundamental right, that can’t be taken for granted. Vote your heart out!”
Amritha Karthikeyan, newly naturalized citizen and AZ AANHPI for Equity intern, said, “To other newly naturalized voters, I would use this new power you have as a citizen of this country to make sure your voice is heard in who you elect to represent you and your communities. But. don’t just stop there — show out for your communities in other ways, especially for those who cannot yet vote and aren’t citizens. Volunteer, show up for events as well as the polls, join a community organization, contact your representatives.”
“A strong, multiracial democracy requires the voices and participation of every single person, including and especially new Americans. We enthusiastically support the 2024 New American Voters Campaign to strengthen civic participation now and into the future,” said Rachel Perić, executive director, Welcoming America.
Laura Vazquez, director of Immigrant Integration at UnidosUS, said, “UnidosUS supports the 2024 New American Voters Campaign and is committed to empowering Latino voices in shaping our democracy’s future. As Latinos continue to grow as a significant demographic nationwide, their pivotal role in determining electoral outcomes extends beyond traditional strongholds to critical battleground states like North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada, and Arizona, underscoring the urgency for their active participation in upcoming elections. With the opportunity for naturalized Latino voters to now exercise their right to vote, their civic engagement is more crucial than ever in shaping the direction of our nation.”
With immigration as Arizonans’ top issue and one of the nation’s top issues this election year, and with the stakes increasingly high for immigrant communities, those most directly impacted by immigration and with the power to vote—New American Voters—have an outsized opportunity and responsibility to turn out to the polls.
The New American Voters campaign will be polling New American Voters in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, and Pennsylvania throughout this critical election year. More information about polling results are expected to be completed and available in May and August of this year.
For more information on how to vote and verify your voter registration, and find out what will be on your ballot, please visit Vote411.org/npna.
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The National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) is a multi-ethnic, multiracial coalition of 66 of the nation’s largest immigrant and refugee rights organizations with reach across over 40 states. Together with our members, we advance immigrant and refugee equity and inclusion, build and expand immigration legal services and integration programming capacity, and drive campaigns that strengthen democracy through increased civic participation. See our website for more information at partnershipfornewamericans.org
We Are All America works to uphold and strengthen our nation’s commitment to welcome and protect those seeking freedom, safety and refuge in the United States. We organize people across religious and cultural differences to build inclusive communities where we all belong. See our website for more information at weareallus.org
The Arizona Center for Empowerment (ACE) is a 501 (c)3 member-led social justice organization that develops and mobilizes immigrant working youth and adults, students, and LGBTQ individuals to strategically take ownership and responsibility to advance economic, social, and racial justice. By building power through leadership development, Citizenship, civic engagement, advocacy and education, we are creating a more inclusive and just standard of equality in the state of Arizona. Income equality, protection of public education, immigrant rights, and health care are just a few of ACE’s priorities in creating a better Arizona for all.
Arizona Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander for Equity (AZ AANHPI for Equity) is a state-wide organization striving for equity and justice by building power through community directed organizing, increasing civic engagement, and empowering young leaders.
Promise Arizona promotes diversity, opportunity, and progress.
We do this by building power in our community, championing family and cultural values, and connecting people to life-changing resources. Our faith-based organization relies on members and volunteers to help build young community leaders and to create positive change in Arizona.The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) unites 2 million diverse members in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. SEIU members working in the healthcare industry, in the public sector and in property services believe in the power of joining together on the job to win higher wages and benefits and to create better communities while fighting for a more just society and an economy that works for all of us, not just corporations and the wealthy.