Key Points:

• The League of Women Voters filed a lawsuit against a federal policy preventing non-governmental groups from registering new citizens to vote

• The lawsuit alleges the federal agency did not follow protocol and the change violates the league’s First Amendment rights 

• Arizona’s chapter won’t join the lawsuit as their local chapters have a good relationship with county recorders offices

Amid a multi-chapter lawsuit challenging a new federal policy on voter registration for naturalized citizens, a non-governmental organization is working tirelessly to promote and protect the voting rights of America’s newest arrivals. 

A policy change from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services dating back to August said only state and local election officials are permitted to provide voter registration services after a naturalization ceremony, according to a news release. 

The national chapter of the League of Women Voters filed a lawsuit against the federal agency. Joining them were chapters in five states: Colorado, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina and Wisconsin. The lawsuit alleges the federal agency did not follow the notice and comment requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act. They also allege the policy change violates the league’s First Amendment rights because it hinders speech promoting the right to vote for new citizens and violates the organization’s freedom of association.

Pinny Sheoran, chair of the Arizona chapter’s advocacy committee, said they won’t join the lawsuit. Arizona’s chapters have a good relationship with their respective counties, she said, including Phoenix and Maricopa County. 

Many league volunteers are deputy registrars and assist with voter registration, she said, and volunteers go through training and working as a deputy registrar is strictly regulated. 

The league is a national nonpartisan voter advocacy group that helps register new voters, provides voter education and advocates for voters’ rights. Celina Stewart, CEO of the national chapter, said league volunteers have been a fixture at naturalization ceremonies across the country for decades. 

“Purposely excluding groups like the league from administrative naturalization ceremonies is a deliberate move by this administration to deny new citizens access to the democratic process and attack the league’s very mission to register and support new voters,” Stewart said in a statement.

Christine L. is a recently naturalized citizen who wanted to vote for the first time in her life. She asked to be identified only by her last initial due to concerns about identity theft. She lives with her husband, Paul, in the Valley. 

Born in Scotland and raised in London, Christine came to the U.S. on a three-week holiday with her friends in 1977. Three weeks became three months in Manhattan, and Christine said she knew she always wanted to stay in the U.S. 

Back then, she entered as a “sixth preference,” which includes performing a job that no American can do. Christine spoke two other languages, French and German. A company sponsored her, and she worked as a multilingual secretary. 

She stayed in Manhattan until 1984 and then moved to Arizona. She earned a degree in accounting from Arizona State University and married Paul in 1997. Recently, Paul received a dementia diagnosis. Christine said she didn’t want to worry about her immigration status or risk being left in a situation where she wouldn’t be able to help him. That was her prime reason for becoming a naturalized citizen. 

“What happens if they say no? I couldn’t really leave the country and get Paul over to England,” she said. “What if something happens to him? What if something happens to me?”

The process for Christine was easy, she said, acknowledging, “I’m white. I’ve paid my taxes. I was a lawful, green card person. I went out of the country a lot. No parking tickets, no drunks, no fines, no jail time, no embezzling, nothing. My record was clean.”

Still, going through the process is terrifying and people are often scared because of the recent deportations, she said. 

Her second reason for naturalization was political. For the first time in her life, she wanted to vote. She did not vote when she lived in London.

“I know it’s not one person who can move a mountain, but a lot of people can,” she said. 

Christine filed for citizenship in May and completed a lengthy immigration questionnaire. Her attorney, Liz Chatham, helped her navigate the process, which typically takes 11 months, but she got notification the citizenship test would take place on Oct. 14. 

Normally, people answer 20 questions from a list of 100 possible questions, and they must answer 12 correctly. Since Christine is over 65, she had to answer 20 questions and get six correct. 

In a room full of families and children, her name was called to take the test. The first question was “Who was the first president of the U.S.?” 

With her nerves sufficiently racked, she answered, “Jefferson.”

“Where did that come from?” she chuckled, recalling how much time she spent studying. It also didn’t take as long as she thought it would. “Here I have been waiting 47 years, and it took 25 minutes.”

With a passing score, the date for the next naturalization ceremony was set for Nov. 14. Being from the U.K., the ceremony seemed a little dull in comparison to the pomp and circumstance that often accompany events and celebrations across the pond, Christine said. She thought they would recite the Pledge of Allegiance, and she learned it before the ceremony, but they did not. 

One of the officials handed everyone their certificates, shook their hand and told them congratulations. A video speech by President Donald Trump was played and the new citizens recited the Naturalization Oath of Allegiance to the U.S. 

The Maricopa County Recorder’s Office had a table set up for voter registration, and Christine was the first to register. 

“I’m so excited about voting and I’ve never voted in my life,” she said. She also helped two other people fill out their forms. “Score! Three people voting. Who knows who they’re going to vote for. It didn’t matter. It really didn’t matter.”

Christine is also looking forward to leaving the country, visiting Mexico again and then returning to the country. 

“It’s just a symbol of freedom that you can leave and come back. That is hugely important to me,” she said.