Naturalization Ceremonies

Standing in a crowded high school hallway in Northern Virginia on a cold morning back in 2010, I unfolded my handmade “Register to Vote!” poster and double-checked my supply of pens.  I was excited

“There was something fresh, pure and distinctly American about the immigrants lining up behind the League of Women Voters table to register to vote for the first time. Moments earlier in the grand foyer of the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Hammond [IN], the 42 newly naturalized citizens from 12 countries had sworn allegiance to their new homeland, leaving behind the war, uncertainty and political unrest of their native lands to become Americans.”

“The desire to vote, especially in a hotly contested presidential election, is propelling the number of new U.S. citizens in Minnesota to record levels. ... About 1,500 people were sworn in as new Americans Thursday at the Minneapolis Convention Center -- the largest naturalization ceremony in Minnesota history. ... The connection between the large batch of new citizens and voter registration was evident Thursday, as representatives of the League of Women Voters of Minnesota collected stacks of completed voter registration cards.”

 
"Irving League of Women Voters member Anita Tipping-Wheeler recently participated in the Democratic process. She helped pass out voter registration cards at a swearing-in ceremony for new citizens..."