Elections

New American voters have the political power to affect the election in swing states

By Elena Moore

Published October 4, 2024 at 12:04 PM EDT

In this file photo, a sign directs people to a voting site in the Bronx during the Democratic primary on June 25 in New York.

It wasn’t even noon, and nursing home worker Hellen Conteh had already finished a double shift.

“You have to work, work, work,” she said with a smile. “It’s not easy.”

Conteh is an immigrant from Sierra Leone who lives just outside Philadelphia. She has been a U.S. citizen for two years, but this fall marks the first time she can vote in an election, and she plans to cast her ballot for Vice President Harris.

"She will… treat immigrants the same. Talk about wages, talking about mortgage,” Conteh said, explaining she is worried about rising prices. “We are on the same page,” she added.

Hellen Conteh is a naturalized citizen originally from Sierra Leone. The nursing home worker cites rising prices as her main concern, and the reason she plans to vote for Vice President Harris in her first presidential election.

Conteh is one of more than half a million naturalized citizens living in Pennsylvania. And she is part of a growing portion of the U.S. electorate, making up about one in ten eligible voters nationwide as of 2022.

It’s a voting bloc that could be crucial in the presidential race, especially in key battleground states like Pennsylvania, where President Biden won last time by a margin of about 1%, or 80,000 votes.

Those stakes were ever-present to a small group of immigrant advocates and new citizens, including Conteh, who recently gathered at a community center in the Philadelphia commuter town of Lansdale, Pa.

“We know that Pennsylvania will be one of the most critical states during this election, and new American voters have the power to sway the outcome,” Laila Martín García said to the group. Martín García is an organizer with the nonpartisan group National Partnership of New Americans or NPNA.

“We have the numbers,” she added. “Are we ready to translate those numbers into impact?”

It’s unclear how many new citizens are already registered to vote, however, roughly eight in 10 naturalized Pennsylvanians say they’re definitely planning on casting a ballot, according to NPNA’s latest state-wide polling from Aug.

Similar levels of enthusiasm were reflected in NPNA’s surveys from other crucial swing states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Nevada.

Huascar Aragonés just registered to vote in September. Originally from the Dominican Republic, shared his concerns as a immigrant and the policies of former President Donald Trump as his motivation to become a citizen — and to vote.

But deadlines are creeping up. Pennsylvania has until Oct. 21 to register to vote. So after the event ended, Huascar Aragonés didn’t wait a second longer.

Aragones first came to the U.S. 16 years ago from the Dominican Republic. He works for his union, the Service Employees International Union, SEIU, and as he filled out his registration form, a few of his colleagues excitedly watched close by.

When it was complete, the room erupted in applause.

“When I became a citizen, I did it out of the fear I have about politics,” Aragonés said in Spanish. “Especially the politics of former President Donald Trump -- I was afraid that he would separate me from my family because I am an immigrant worker.”

The topic of immigration has remained a big issue throughout the campaign. Trump has made it central to his reelection bid, vowing to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.

For Aragonés, Harris is the best candidate right now.

“What I feel is something really beautiful,” he said. “When you are a citizen of the United States, you feel like you are a part of this country. And that you can vote for the candidate that you would like, for the changes you want to see.”

But other new voters aren’t as excited about the matchup.

Laila Martín García is an organizer with the National Partnership for New Americans. A new American herself, the Spanish native is focused on educating new citizens about their potential political power, especially in swing states like Pennsylvania.

NPNA’s Laila Martín García, an immigrant from Spain also recently naturalized, is gearing up for her first presidential election as a citizen.

“The joy that voting brings to me, I wish I had the same joy because a candidate is giving me reasons to vote for them,” she said. “I feel like I'm going to head to the polls on Nov. 5 to vote against somebody more than voting for somebody.”

Speaking outside her role with NPNA, she’s backing Harris. However, there’s a caveat: Martín García disagrees with how Harris has approached immigration issues, particularly the vice president’s support for the bipartisan bill in Congress that — if passed — would have expanded restrictions and given money for a border wall. The legislation failed but Harris has vowed to sign it if it were to pass while she was in office.

That being the case, to Martín García, it’s a vote for Harris, but a reluctant one. A feeling she shares with many other new voters around the country.

“To be honest, [as] a first-time voter, that breaks my heart,” she said. “It’s just not how you want to vote for the first time or really ever.”