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One immigrant shares how important it is to vote!


When I immigrated to the United States, towards the end of the twentieth century, I came from England on a green card. In other words, I was not a citizen but was allowed to live and work here. However, I was not allowed to vote. This was really tough for me, as I had always been politically active. I worked for the Labour Party in England, after having studied politics at the London School of Economics. I supported two Members of Parliament. I knew that I would have to apply for citizenship. So, I started the process for myself and my daughter, who by now was in her twenties. Unfortunately, at this time my son was living abroad, having gained a scholarship. So, he did not take part in this process with us. I had hoped he would be able to do this on his return.


It was a long process, and took us a year of going through lots of paperwork before my daughter and I were asked to attend a meeting in Houston (we were living in Denver at the time) where we would go through the process to gain our citizenship.


The big day finally arrived, and my daughter and I drove to Houston to attend the meeting. There was a large number of immigrants/applicants attending. Each one of us was interviewed separately.


My interview was somewhat strange. The interviewer was an older lady who was not very friendly….so I decided to be as helpful and cooperative as I could. I was ready to answer all kinds of questions about American Government and present and past Presidents. I will never forget the first question I was asked: “Will you bear arms for the United States of America?” I had to quickly get myself together and replied “of course” …. What else could I say? After that, things went smoothly, and, unlike many others there trying to get their citizenship, I did not have a problem with the language! (except for my accent!)


The ones who were accepted (including myself and my daughter), were brought into a huge hall. There we were addressed by the local politician, congratulated, and told we were now US Citizens…. we all had to kneel and pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States. Shortly afterwards, I was able to get a US Passport! And I could finally vote!!


She has been working since then to register other voters - especially young voters.




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Tens of thousands of Arizonans are at risk of losing full voting rights after being placed on the Documentary Proof of Citizenship (DPOC) list, which limits them to Federal-only ballots.

The League of Women Voters of Arizona has partnered with One Arizona to notify affected voters and help them check their registration status before the next election. We need YOUR help through phone banking.

Take action with us to ensure every voice is heard.


✨ Two ways to take action

 

📢 For experienced phone bankers — one-time registration only, no set schedule required.

Experienced Phone Bankers — Call on Your Own Schedule Use your skills to help protect Arizona voters. Make calls anytime between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., from wherever is convenient for you.

Registration link to receive instructions and information Your confirmation email will provide instructions and link to make phone calls.

📞 New or hesitant volunteers - Community Phone Banks (via Zoom):

Join one of our Community Phone Banks. You’ll get step-by-step support from experienced members, and we’ll be on Zoom together as a team. 

Together, we can build community, empower voters, and protect every Arizona voter’s right to be heard. Thank you for stepping up to defend democracy! 💪




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LWV Northern Arizona Action Corner


 

STATE ACTION: LWV Arizona ADVOCACY

The LWV of Arizona needs Advocacy champions. Put your talent and passion to work by participating in a broad range of advocacy activities. You choose your level of commitment. Every action matters and your involvement makes us powerful and effective. 

 

·        Commenting on bills in the legislature that are LWVAZ priorities

·        Join an Issue Team

·        Become a League volunteer lobbyist

·        Fight mis and disinformation by volunteering to work on League podcasts

 

Use the LWV Arizona one-stop signup to participate in these advocacy activities.

 

Also take a look at 5calls.org.  – it is an easy way for you to make a political impact.

 

And lastly, Download  the League In Action app and join a network of Leagues across the country taking action to empower voters and defend our democracy.



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Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, introduced by U.S. Representative Chip Roy (R-TX) and passed by the House of Representative on April 10, 2025 and moved to the Senate, would require in-person submission of documentary proof of American citizenship each time a person registers to vote. This goes beyond the current requirement—present in every state—that voters affirm or verify their citizenship when registering. If enacted, the law would effectively eliminate online and mail voter registration options by mandating applicants bring approved citizenship documents to election offices.

Make Your Voice Heard!

Call on all Arizona Senators to oppose this bill. Let the bill’s sponsors from Arizona—Reps. Elijah Crane, Andy Biggs, Paul Gosar, and Abraham Hamadeh—know that Arizonans reject any legislation that undermines our right to vote.Tell your Senate members of Congress to oppose the SAVE act!


Spread the Word

Reach out to your friends, family, and community across the country —especially female legislators both Republican and Democrats — and urge them to oppose this legislation.


Acceptable documentation under the bill includes a U.S. passport, a government-issued photo ID with a listed place of birth, or a REAL ID-compliant form of identification. Military IDs and other government-issued photo IDs are acceptable only if accompanied by additional proof of citizenship, such as a certified birth certificate. Furthermore, the bill allows for a discrepancy process, in which applicants without standard documentation must provide supplementary records—such as a naturalization certificate, consulate birth report, or qualifying adoption decree—to establish citizenship.


Critics point out that birth certificates often do not reflect current legal names, which could disproportionately affect voters who have changed their names—particularly married women. Research suggests that up to 34% of voting-age women lack citizenship documents matching their current legal name, and more than 9% of Americans do not have readily available proof of citizenship. Because marriage certificates are not explicitly listed as acceptable documentation, these changes may pose additional barriers to registering and voting under the SAVE Act. 


Read more about how this bill impacts citizens: The Save Act will make voting harder.

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 State Advocacy


The League is a nonpartisan political organization. That means we never support or oppose candidates or political parties. We do study, take positions and then advocate for our priorities. At the state level this year our priorities for Advocacy, as chosen by our members and approved by the state board are:


  • Voting Rights
  • Women’s Rights
  • Education
  • Climate
  • Gun Safety
  • Criminal Justice
  • Ranked Choice Voting

Legislative Analysis Team – monitors AZ state legislation in these priority areas, studies the impact of bills, prepares testimony for our lobbyists and alerts members who may wish to contact their legislator, or express a position using the AZ Legislature Request to Speak System

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Volunteer Lobby Core – members are trained and registered as League lobbyists. They attend Legislative committee meetings and testify on our behalf. Multiple volunteers are especially important when there are several committee meetings on a single day. Funds are available for transportation and parking for members outside of Metro Phoenix.

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Advocacy Newsletter – generally sent weekly to subscribers during the Legislative season. Informs members of critical bills and suggests oppose or support with talking points. Sign up at lwvazadvocacy@gmail.com

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Request to Speak (RTS) – this is a wonderful, unique feature of the AZ Legislature. Any member registered on the site can express support or opposition to a bill before a committee hearing, as well as leave comments – which legislators do read! This is an easy and important way to become involved. Training is offered and we will help you register for the system. If you haven’t done this before – this is the year!

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