Aug 18, 2024·By The New Housing Initiative Project
Voting Rights
As we all know, voting is fundamental to American democracy, yet NOT EVERYONE in the U.S. is granted this right, despite common perceptions. Refugees and immigrants, in particular, face a challenging and often lengthy process to secure voting rights. Let us find out more...
Understanding Refugees and Immigrants
At the New Housing Initiative Project, our focus is on supporting refugees. Our mission is to assist vulnerable refugee families who have fled their home countries due to persecution or conflict. We provide help to those currently seeking asylum or those who have been granted asylum.
Immigrants on the other hand, are individuals who move to the U.S., whether for work, family, or better opportunities. This includes both legal immigrants, who have lawful permanent residency, and undocumented immigrants, who lack legal status.
Voting Rights of Refugees and Immigrants
Refugees: It is important to remember refugees do not have the right to vote. After being granted asylum, they are given permanent resident status (i.e., a Green Card), but this does not include voting rights.
Legal Immigrants: Like refugees, legal immigrants, including those with Green Cards, do not have the right to vote in federal or state elections. However, some local jurisdictions allow non-citizen legal residents to vote in specific local elections, such as school board elections, but this is relatively rare and depends on local laws.
Undocumented Immigrants: Undocumented immigrants do not have any voting rights in the U.S.They are not eligible to participate in federal, state, or local elections, regardless of how long they have lived in the country.
The Path to Voting Rights
For both refugees and legal immigrants, naturalization is the SOLE PATHWAY to obtaining voting rights in the U.S. This process involves multiple steps:
Living in the U.S. as a permanent resident for a minimum of five years (three years if married to a U.S. citizen).
Passing an English language test and a U.S. civics test.
Demonstrating good moral character and knowledge of U.S. laws.
Taking an Oath of Allegiance to the United States.
Upon successfully completing the naturalization process, those new citizens can register to vote and participate in all U.S. elections.
Are Refugees and Immigrants Aware of Their Voting Rights?
Awareness of voting rights among refugees and immigrants are practically nonexistant. Here is why:
Misinformation and Fear: Many immigrants are apprehensive about the U.S. government, with some even fearing that applying for naturalization or registering to vote when eligible could put them or their undocumented family members at legal risk. These concerns are often driven by false information about immigration and voting laws.
Lack of Information: Many refugees and immigrants may not be fully informed about the naturalization process and how it leads to voting rights. Without proper guidance, they may not realize when they can become eligible to vote.
Language Barriers: Language can be a significant obstacle for refugees and immigrants seeking to understand voting rights. Access to clear and accurate information in their native language are unfortunately often limited.
Civic Engagement Gaps: Even after becoming citizens, some naturalized refugees and immigrants may not be fully engaged in the voting process due to unfamiliarity with U.S. elections, registration requirements, or local political issues. To conclude, in the United States, despite common misconceptions, refugees and immigrants DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE. Registering them to vote without citizenship is ILLEGAL! Immigrants and Refugees must go through the naturalization process to gain the right to vote in federal and state elections. As we stated earlier, this process can be lengthy and complex, and understanding the necessary steps is often challenging. Barriers like fear, misinformation, language difficulties, further complicate their ability to fully grasp voting rights. Falshoods and misleading narratives about voting rights for immigrants and refugees create confusion and send the wrong message to the rest of the country.
