I moved to the U.S. from Russia in mid-1990's. Having received American citizenship only a couple of years ago, I am a first-generation American citizen, and a first-time voter in the 2004 elections. -- Andrew Morozov, "New to America" blogger.

What do I think about voting? I think the answer would depend on how I see myself. If I think that, no matter how much I understand about politics, if I am at least 18 years old and in good mental health, then I deserve to have a say in choosing who will control my life for the next 4 years, then I would say that voting is my right, and I don’t owe nothin’ for it to nobody.

If, on the other hand, I count myself among those Americans, who are sufficiently intelligent and well informed about their country’s domestic and foreign policy, and who stay up on the news and understand the political candidates’ stances on major issues, then I can argue that I don’t just deserve to vote, but it is my responsibility to do so, especially because there are many others who have no clue about politics. In other words, it would be my duty to cast my vote in order to counter-balance the less well-informed votes of others, since I obviously have better reasons for voting the way I do.

Finally, if in the final sober analysis I come to a dramatic conclusion that no matter what I do or how hard I try to understand politics, I will forever remain an ignorant and gullible Joe Bloe, all too easily swayed by the rhetoric of presidential debates and the emotionality of partisan quasi-documentaries, then I may very well consider voting to be a great privilege. From this perspective, the opportunity to vote may appear to me no more “deserved,” than an opportunity for a hockey fan to weigh in on who should win the Olympic gold in figure skating.

Would I say that voting makes a difference? Again, it depends. On the highest level, voting in the U.S. presidential elections does make a difference in a sense that the candidate with the majority of electoral votes wins. Beyond that, it gets tricky. If I don’t live in a swing state with a sizeable chunk of electoral votes, then voting for the non-dominant party will have no more effect, than not voting at all, in terms of impact on the election outcome. In case of the state of Washington, with only 11 electoral votes, it contributes only 4% of the 270 votes a candidate needs to win. Washington could become a swing state, however, considering that only about 5% more votes were cast for Gore, than for Bush in the 2000 election (a more exact break-down is available here).

Democracy can be defined in a number of ways, depending on the historical context and conceptual framework being applied. According to one source, democracy is “a form of government under which the power to alter the basic laws and forms of government lies with the voting citizenry, referred to as "the people", and all decisions are made by representatives who act by their consent, as enforced by elections and the rule of law.” To this I would add, “and where election “improprieties” are an exception more than a norm.” All in all, I believe that in a country founded on democratic principles, voting does make a difference, when it is done right.

Assuming that truly democratic elections are necessarily a complex logistical undertaking, is voting in America a simple enough process for immigrant voters? You may have guessed – it depends – on how you look at it. American citizenship is a requirement for voting. For an immigrant like myself, it can take over 5 years to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. This requirement alone is, in most cases, a rather complicated and frustrating process. I imagine that after fighting such a drawn-out and exhausting battle with the U.S. government, some immigrants may become disenchanted with the ideals of democracy, and may want to have as little to do with the government, as they possibly can.

On the other hand…well, consider the following example. An Oct. 17, 2004 article from BBC World, describing the alleged “irregularities” in a Belarussian vote to approve a third term for the country’s president, stated that “a series of photographs from one polling station showed ballot papers which had already been marked with ticks beside Mr Lukashenko's name before they had been handed out to voters.” (more on that here). Compared to voting in Belarussia, then, the U.S. system does seem more involved – one has to mark his own ballot… My point is that, once in 4 years, a first-generation American citizen should have little excuse NOT to understand how and why voting is important, register to vote, find out where to vote, and, finally, cast a ballot.

As a first-time voter in the 2004 elections, I have already test-driven the polls in September, voting in the Washington State primary. I will go to the polls again on November 2nd, and on many other November 2nd’s in the decades ahead. Because no matter how many opinions there are about the right, responsibility, and privelege of voting, or whether political participation by the citizens of this country makes any difference, I am now one of them, and that makes a difference to me.

Immigrated to the U.S. from Russia in mid-1990’s. Currently a U.S. citizen. [Anonymous by request]

Voting is my right to participate in the life of my country and be able to make a difference. It is also a responsibility of each citizen to be active in the society. As ‘demos’ in Greek means ‘people’, for me ‘democracy’ means ‘people have to be responsible for their (people’s) lives. It also means that people not only have a constitution that provides them with rights, but it also gives people the right to USE their rights.

The most important issues for me are health care, education, and national security. I also want the U.S. to be a role model in the world and not give the world the image of a police state. Americans are kindhearted people and the country has lots of resources to help and not kill around the world.

I think there is too much negative advertising that harms all possible candidates. The American mass media has to be more sensitive to candidates’ feelings as human beings. I want the candidate to be honest even when he/she makes mistakes, I want them to admit that, correct them and move on. I hate when politicians lie.

I’m from Russia. There voting is a farce as people know who will win even before they vote. Often there is only one candidate for one position. Here I feel it is more objective and real; people have a choice whom to vote for. The Electoral College is not an easy system to understand for a foreigner, but once you get it, you see why it has some advantages.

My voting makes a difference primarily for me as an individual. It always nice to admit that “I tried my best” and if it didn’t work out, it’s not my fault. The actual voting process is easy. I learned how to vote on my own (there is lots of information about it on the Internet). I’ve been voting since 2000. I will participate in the [2004] elections by all means. I want to elect a different president.

Tanya came to the U.S. in late 1990’s to attend graduate school. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at a university in Washington.

The things that attract my attention in the election are the candidates’ platforms. I am concerned about health care reform, environmental issues, immigration reform and reduction of illegal immigrants in the country, crime control and foreign policy issues. Not all promises and reforms proposed by the candidates during elections will be implemented when the candidate will become a president; however it is important to read between the lines.

I am more focused on the presidential elections [than the local and state elections], simply because they are those that will make the major difference, the presidents and his/her Executive Office will guide all the state and local authorities.

I understand democracy as a freedom of speech, religious freedom and as a system of government in which population selects representatives who play a significant role in government decision making; democracy also permits citizens to vote directly on laws and policies.

I see voting as a right and responsibility - responsibility to choose the right leaders for the country and support democracy. Voting is a right to express one’s point of you. I think my vote could make a difference in the society because depending on the president and his/her cabinet the life could change due to the new reforms and regulations. Wars could begin because the president is the Commander-in-Chief and could make that decision. So if the “incorrect” president with the “incorrect” platform is chosen, major transformations could happen within the society.

There is more freedom here [than in Ukraine]; you can pick different candidates from several parties, not just one. The voting process is simple, you need to know the basics and also understand the candidate’s platforms (watch and read media) on various issues. The sources could be the Conventions, debates, and the president’s State of the Union address.

Many Americans are uninformed about political affairs, the majority of college students are not aware about state/local elections, and about major platforms of the candidates. The young Americans are not interested in politics.

I am not eligible to vote [not a naturalized U.S. citizen]. I will vote in the national elections if/when I will become a U.S. citizen, because it is important to express my point of view and support the candidates that I like.

Boris Shiva came to the U.S. in 1990 as a religious refugee from Novosibirsk, Russia. He became a citizen in 1997. Shiva is proficient in English, yet we spoke Russian in the interview.

Before immigrating to the U.S., Shiva was a Pastor in a Church in Russia – an occupation, to which he has remained faithful here. To his knowledge, Shiva is not registered to vote, mainly because he does not recall receiving any mail prompting him to do so. He simply never got around to it, Shiva said.

The political issue of primary concern to Shiva is the relationship between church and state. Shiva said that he believes, as do many other people of faith, that the state should be built based on the foundation of the Bible, and that it should assist religious refugees. A family is good if there is God in it, Shiva said, and the same should be true for the government.

In terms of his thoughts on democracy, Shiva noted that there is a connection between democracy and religion, as democracy allows the expression and recognition of a variety of beliefs, whatever they may be.

When asked whether he thinks voting makes a difference, Shiva replied, “Yes, a vote is a nominal unit, and can play a role. There would be no dollar without a penny, right?” He did not deny the possibility of voting in the future. If he ever receives an appeal to vote by mail, Shiva said, then he just might.

The immigrant voters in the U.S. are increasingly attracting the attention of political parties. They run for more public offices, and lobby for the immigration reform, improved voter registration process, and better access to English-language training. They also vote. According to The Latino and Asian Vote report, published in July 2004 by the Urban Institute (www.urban.org), “while the number of votes cast by whites in the presidential election rose by only 4.3 percent between 1996 and 2000, the number of Asian votes rose by 22 percent. Hispanic votes increased by 19 percent.” Based on the report, first-generation immigrants make up a significant share of these votes: “64 percent of Asians are foreign-born as are 40 percent of Latinos. In contrast, only 3 percent of whites are immigrants.” At the same time, whites and blacks are about two times more likely to register to vote, than Latinos and Asians, so voter eligibility and registration issues remain major concerns for many immigrants.

The idea of the “New to America” project is to allow the readers, experienced and novice voters alike, to better understand the thoughts, feelings, efforts, and struggles, which lie at the heart of the often-quoted numbers and statistics, like those presented above. Take a look at the questions in the top right corner of this page. How would you answer them? If you are an immigrant to this country, and if your answers and experiences differ from, or are critical of those expressed on this and other “Searching for Democracy” pages, then e-mail them to me, and I will gladly post your response. (Don’t forget to tell a little about yourself in your message!)