This past Monday, my volunteers and I were privileged to take part in an event that perhaps best symbolizes why voter registration matters so much, and what’s at stake in this coming election. We were invited to register voters at a major Naturalization Ceremony for immigrants in Central Texas, during which over 800 folks became full-fledged American citizens.
As these newest Texans streamed out of the ceremony, the Democratic Party was there to stand and applaud this milestone in their lives. It was, in the end, a tremendously moving experience, perhaps one of the best I’ve had so far in registering voters. If nothing else, it reaffirmed for me the genuine power of the American Dream, and why we need to fight so hard to preserve it.
The event organizers invited both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party to send volunteers, and provided one long table for each group on opposite sides of the lobby. In order to properly celebrate the event, our group lined up over one dozen volunteers, and sent a variety of stickers, yard signs, flyers, volunteer sign-ups, and a huge banner to decorate our side of the room. Our Democratic Party table was right near the main door to the ceremony, and as folks streamed out we stood and applauded this milestone in their lives.
I’ll let y’all compare and contrast the passion and excitement of our two camps and decide who you'd rather let register you to vote.
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Hundreds of new citizens registered to vote with us that day, and even more people collected stickers and signed up to get involved. It’s so inspiring to see these folks who have worked so hard to come here, to obtain their rights as American citizens—now they’re eager to not just vote, but get involved in making our democracy work. Some of them have been volunteers for Democratic candidates in the past, and now can complete their activism by casting a ballot.
Two people stuck with me. The first, an African man, came up before the ceremony. He was so excited he wanted to turn his form in as soon as possible. Despite the unabashedly Democratic decorations of our booth, he refused to admit who he was voting for... Until he pulled out his wallet and showed us some Kenyan currency. "You know who else is from there!" he said proudly.
Later, during the mad crush of new citizens coming up to register, I looked across the table to see a tiny, soft-spoken woman in a headscarf. She wanted to register, but didn’t know which form to use. I explained, gave her a clipboard, and watched as she headed to a quiet corner to concentrate on the form in private. She came back five minutes later with the completed form. I checked it over, and handed her a receipt and a sticker. What must that encounter be like for her, I wondered--some tall, loud American girl exhorting people to register? Is this a level of political openness that's even possible in her native country?
One of my friends, Ramey Ko, is heavily involved with outreach to the Asian community on behalf of Barack Obama and the Democratic Party. He brought a great supply of stickers, posters, and buttons from Asian Americans for Obama. Many of our naturalized citizens came from Asia. It was great that they were able to receive a button specially recognizing their culture. Travis County’s elected Democratic Party Chair, Andy Brown, also came out to join in the festivities, and helped register new voters and talk to them about our party’s platform and positions on the issues.
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To me, these newly registered voters represent the best of what America has to offer. They came here believing in an American dream—better education with which to better onesself and family, freedom to worship and speak their mind, access to health care and support systems in times of need. They’ve shared their unique cultures and talents with the Central Texas community, making us richer and more diverse as a result. Yet over the past 8 years, we’ve seen that American dream grow increasingly tenuous and more elusive, as the policies of George W. Bush and the Republicans have curtailed access to education and health care, destroyed the economy and gutted the housing market, and even sought to sow divisions against these very immigrants when they arrived.
Yet they still come. They have hope in a better future, hope that for these newest citizens resides here in America. I’m so happy they get a chance to vote. And I’m even more excited that they overwhelmingly favor the Democratic Party. After all, our platform is that which most reflects the American dream. We’re working to improve quality and access to education, offer health care to all Americans and especially children, safeguard Social Security, and offer protections to those whom societies have often derogatorily deemed "different." It is these values which make me a Democrat. To see them reflected back in the faces of those who have worked so hard to share in them is a remarkable experience.
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Perhaps the greatest opportunity afforded to those of us who volunteer on political campaigns is the chance to meet ordinary folks and genuinely listen to their concerns. It can be humbling and daunting to hear regular people talk about how desperately they need and want change in our government, and to think about how as volunteers it’s our job to help make that happen. As voter registrars, my volunteers and I often meet folks at the moment of their first real political awakening: their first registration, their first genuine desire to vote for someone and something. The urgency with which folks flock to our booths at festivals, the relief on their faces, the number of times they say "I’m so glad you’re here, I’ve been needing to do this."
This ceremony represented the best of this opportunity—folks who have strived for years, and in some cases their entire lives, to become American citizens. It’s a privilege to help them participate in our democratic process. This was the last major swearing-in ceremony here in Central Texas before the October 6th registration deadline, and lucky are those who were able to make this momentous transition in time to vote.
So, congratulations to our newest citizens in Central Texas! We’re so happy to have you here, and we celebrate your first vote this November.
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Now it’s your turn. Voter registration deadlines are approaching rapidly in many states as we near the 30-day mark out from Election Day. Here are some resources. Get out there and do your part to help even more people participate in our democratic process!
Obama Vote for Change -- Find a Registration Drive Near You!
Vote For Change -- Check Registration, Get Voting Information
Rock the Vote -- Get Registered
Icebergslim's Motherlode of Voter Registration -- Deadlines, State-by-State Contact Info