Nicolas Mantovani, a 48-year-old Miami Beach resident, is preparing to vote for the first time in the Nov. 3 midterm elections, 16 years after becoming a U.S. citizen. Mantovani immigrated from Argentina as a child and became a naturalized citizen in 2010.
He said confusion about the electoral system and doubts that a single vote would matter kept him from the polls in earlier elections. He said his doubts were strongest in presidential races decided through the Electoral College.
Now he is researching candidates and learning more about local politics. He said he wants to be more involved in the community where he lives and to have a say in decisions that will shape its future.
Mantovani also wants younger and first-time voters to avoid his mistake. He said voters do not need to be experts to cast an informed ballot, and he pointed to online resources for learning about candidates and issues.
“I want to show the young, the new generations, that they have an opportunity to raise their voice and go vote,” he said.
The story was written by a Florida International University journalism student for Caplin News and edited by CBS News Miami.
