It wasn鈥檛 even noon, and nursing home worker Hellen Conteh had already finished a double shift.
鈥淵ou have to work, work, work,鈥� she said with a smile. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not easy.鈥�
Conteh is an immigrant from Sierra Leone who lives just outside Philadelphia. She has been a U.S. citizen for two years, but this fall marks the first time she can vote in an election, and she plans to cast her ballot for Vice President Harris.
"She will鈥� treat immigrants the same. Talk about wages, talking about mortgage,鈥� Conteh said, explaining she is worried about rising prices. 鈥淲e are on the same page,鈥� she added.
Conteh is one of more than half a million naturalized citizens living in Pennsylvania. And she is part of a growing portion of the U.S. electorate, making up about nationwide as of 2022.
It鈥檚 a voting bloc that could be crucial in the presidential race, especially in key battleground states like Pennsylvania, where President Biden won last time by a margin of about 1%, or 80,000 votes.
Those stakes were ever-present to a small group of immigrant advocates and new citizens, including Conteh, who recently gathered at a community center in the Philadelphia commuter town of Lansdale, Pa.
鈥淲e know that Pennsylvania will be one of the most critical states during this election, and new American voters have the power to sway the outcome,鈥� Laila Mart铆n Garc铆a said to the group. Mart铆n Garc铆a is an organizer with the nonpartisan group National Partnership of New Americans or NPNA.
鈥淲e have the numbers,鈥� she added. 鈥淎re we ready to translate those numbers into impact?鈥�
It鈥檚 unclear how many new citizens are already registered to vote, however, roughly eight in 10 naturalized Pennsylvanians say they鈥檙e definitely planning on casting a ballot, according to from Aug.
Similar levels of enthusiasm were reflected in NPNA鈥檚 surveys from other crucial swing states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Nevada.
But deadlines are creeping up. Pennsylvania has until Oct. 21 to register to vote. So after the event ended, Huascar Aragon茅s didn鈥檛 wait a second longer.
Aragones first came to the U.S. 16 years ago from the Dominican Republic. He works for his union, the Service Employees International Union, SEIU, and as he filled out his registration form, a few of his colleagues excitedly watched close by.
When it was complete, the room erupted in applause.
鈥淲hen I became a citizen, I did it out of the fear I have about politics,鈥� Aragon茅s said in Spanish. 鈥淓specially the politics of former President Donald Trump -- I was afraid that he would separate me from my family because I am an immigrant worker.鈥�
The topic of immigration has remained a big issue throughout the campaign. Trump has made it central to his reelection bid, vowing to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.
For Aragon茅s, Harris is the best candidate right now.
鈥淲hat I feel is something really beautiful,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen you are a citizen of the United States, you feel like you are a part of this country. And that you can vote for the candidate that you would like, for the changes you want to see.鈥�
But other new voters aren鈥檛 as excited about the matchup.
NPNA鈥檚 Laila Mart铆n Garc铆a, an immigrant from Spain also recently naturalized, is gearing up for her first presidential election as a citizen.
鈥淭he joy that voting brings to me, I wish I had the same joy because a candidate is giving me reasons to vote for them,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 feel like I'm going to head to the polls on Nov. 5 to vote against somebody more than voting for somebody.鈥�
Speaking outside her role with NPNA, she鈥檚 backing Harris. However, there鈥檚 a caveat: Mart铆n Garc铆a disagrees with how Harris has approached immigration issues, particularly the vice president鈥檚 support for the that 鈥� if passed 鈥� would have expanded restrictions and given money for a border wall. The legislation failed but Harris has vowed to sign it if it were to pass while she was in office.
That being the case, to Mart铆n Garc铆a, it鈥檚 a vote for Harris, but a reluctant one. A feeling she shares with many other new voters around the country.
鈥淭o be honest, [as] a first-time voter, that breaks my heart,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just not how you want to vote for the first time or really ever.鈥�
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