Thousands of new US citizens will vote for the first time in this election in Kansas

Kansas isn’t a battleground state nationally, but there are several key races on the ballot, including the state legislature.

Experts say first-time voters can play a decisive role. This includes thousands of Kansans who become new citizens each year.

At a naturalization ceremony in Wichita in September, more than 120 people from 33 countries gathered in a packed auditorium to take the oath of citizenship. They are part of about 2,500 people who become citizens each year in official ceremonies in Kansas, according to federal court officials.

As the new citizens left the auditorium, family and friends greeted them with hugs, flowers and tears. The ceremony was one of the last in Kansas before the state closed voter registration last month. Volunteers from the League of Women Voters of Wichita helped them register to vote.

Nancy Brown, co-president of the league, handed out dozens of voter registration forms in English and Spanish. According to her, almost half of the people who became citizens at the ceremony finished their registration.

“It’s just a great time to engage potential voters,” she said. “When I’m helping someone sign up, I always remind them, ‘Okay, you’re already signed up.’ Do your research, get out and vote because it matters.”

The number of foreign-born American voters has grown steadily in recent years, reaching 24 million in 2022 — double the number in 2000. Pew Research Centernaturalized voters tend to be older than US-born voters and more likely to have a bachelor’s degree.

“The family income of eligible immigrants is, on average, higher than that of eligible U.S. citizens,” said Jens Manuel Krogstad, a senior author and editor at Pew.

Immigrant voters are not a monolith, but research by the US Immigration Policy Center in several states shows that they are more likely identify as Democrats rather than Republicans. Respondents said their top political concerns were the high cost of living and inflation, followed by immigration and the economy in general.

About 79,000 immigrants are eligible to vote in Kansas, according to a Pew analysis of the Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey. That’s about 4 percent of voters in the state, but experts say it could still make a difference.

“There are enough immigrant voters in Kansas that they could play a key role in deciding the outcome,” Krogstad said.

It could be decisive in a key legislative race in Kansas less than a thousand votes sometimes separates the winners from the losers. Every seat in the Kansas Legislature is on the ballot in this election, and several close races are expected to determine whether Republicans retain their majority.

One of the new citizens who registered to vote after a naturalization ceremony in Wichita is Ifeanyi Obiajulu, who moved to Kansas from Nigeria six years ago. A travel nurse whose permanent home is in Salina, Obiajulu has been working at Ascension Via Christi St. since April. Francis in Wichita. Works mainly in night shifts, takes care of patients in the intensive care unit.

Now that he’s a citizen, he hopes it will be easier for his wife, who still lives in Nigeria, to join him in Kansas. He is also happy to participate in the democratic process.

“Becoming a citizen gives me the opportunity to run for office; to be involved in what is happening in the country, maybe in my local community and county,” he said.

According to him, this is an opportunity that he did not have in his native country.

“America is a free country, and that gives you the opportunity to do what’s right. Some of us don’t really come from places where you have the freedom to do what’s right,” he said. “So I feel very blessed to be here.”

Foreign-born U.S. permanent residents seek citizenship for various and complex reasons, according to Wichita immigration attorney Sandrine Leask, who has been helping people become citizens for nearly three decades. Many of her clients want to be sure they can stay in the country long-term and stop worrying about whether changes in presidential administrations could threaten their residency. Others want to be able to petition for parents, siblings and children to join them in the US

But Lisk says politics is becoming a bigger factor in her clients’ decision to become citizens.

“This year in particular, most people wanted to naturalize so they could vote,” she said. “The upcoming election has become a great motivation.”

Some of Lisk’s clients have expressed concern about what they see as a rise in anti-immigrant rhetoric in American politics.

“I think (increased interest in voting) is not just a desire to have a say in who becomes our next federal, state or local representatives,” she said, “but also a fear of what might happen to them if they are not US citizens.”

Lisk says many new citizens worry about voter intimidation at the polls. Voter intimidation is illegal, and Leask says it’s rare, but it does happen from time to time. Anyone who feels intimidation should report it to precinct staff.

The Department of Justice has appointed a district election officer to oversee election day complaints of voter abuse, threats of violence and election fraud. Kansans can contact Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag at (785) 295-2850.

The Kansas Secretary of State has online form report complaints about voter fraud.

The ACLU is nonpartisan Election protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683), offering voter assistance in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and several other languages.

Obiajulu says he is excited to vote in this election. But most of all, he hopes to settle permanently in Kansas. He enjoys the change of pace from his bustling hometown of Lagos, Nigeria.

“When I first came (to the U.S.), Kansas seemed a little quiet,” he said. “But after living here for a while, I visited New York; went to California, went to Texas, and I loved Kansas more. When you travel, you appreciate what you have at home.

“So I’ve been stuck ever since,” he added. “And I like being stuck in Kansas.”

Rose Conlon reports on health for KMUW and the Kansas City News Service.

The Kansas News Service is a collaboration between KCUR, KMUW, Kansas Public Radio and High Plains Public Radio focusing on health, the social determinants of health and how they relate to public policy.

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