It was an especially memorable Election Day for forty of the United States’ newest citizens who were sworn in on Tuesday at Hartford Public Library.
Many of those new citizens expressed joy and excitement as they held crisp naturalization certificates after the ceremony, parts of which date back to the 1790s.
Among those celebrating their newly gained status as citizens was Elena Alexander-Smith, of West Hartford, who came to the United States twelve years ago from Russia. Her children were especially excited for the occassion, and Alexander-Smith said, "they’re born in the United States and it’s a big, meaningful day for them."
Connecticut is amongst fifteen states, plus the District of Columbia, which allow same-day voter registration and voting. That meant Alexander-Smith, who was upset she could not vote in last year’s presidential election, was able to exercise her brand-new right to vote and cast a ballot in today’s West Hartford election.
Candidates for citizenship have to meet language requirements and demonstrate an understanding of U.S. history before becoming naturalized in a process that can take years to complete. Bainey Mahadeo waited seventeen years for his citizenship ceremony after leaving his native Guyana for East Hartford.
An emotional and ecstatic Mahadeo described heading to polls after the ceremony only added to his pride in becoming a citizen, and said, "it would be a privilege to vote and I’m looking forward to that."
