If you have an immigration background, you are less likely to vote in your new country, even if you have the right to vote there. Evidence from a variety of countries shows that in general, naturalized citizens vote at lower rates than people who were born in the country.
Why does this happen? Several factors play a role:
- Length of time in the new country: Newcomers are less likely to have a firm grasp of the local language, to understand the political system, and to be thoroughly integrated into the society. As people become more integrated, their turnout tends to increase. For citizens with migration backgrounds, those who have resided in the new country longer generally vote at higher rates than do first-time eligible voters.
- Education and income: New citizens who are less educated, have lower incomes or less stable employment are less likely to vote. This factor applies widely: people with more education and higher incomes have higher voter turnout.
- Country of origin: New citizens who come from lower-income countries or countries with weaker democratic traditions are typically less likely to vote. In other words, someone from Norway is more likely to vote than someone from Somalia.
- Administrative barriers: Not surprisingly, where the electoral system makes it more complicated to register or cast your ballot, people are less likely to turnout. If information on how to vote is only available in one language, that can also reduce turnout–new citizens may not fully understand instructions only in Czech, for example.
- Age: Younger people almost everywhere are less likely to vote, and this applies to people with migration backgrounds as well.
- Lack of inclusion: People who have weaker social networks and less community involvement are generally less likely to vote. On top of that, citizens with a migration background are rarely targeted by parties’ electoral appeals or mobilization efforts. If politicians and parties overlook you, it’s no surprise that you’re less likely to vote.
- Discrimination: People from immigrant groups that face prejudice or exclusion are less likely to vote.
The big picture:
In most mature democracies, the gap in voter participation between naturalized and natural-born citizens can be explained by age, education and income levels, and how socially integrated people are. One piece of good news? Over time, that gap tends to narrow, as naturalized citizens settle in and build more connections.
How to increase turnout for naturalized citizens?
- Reduce administrative hurdles to voting! Provide information in multiple languages, and simplify the process of registering and filling out a ballot.
- Appeal directly to voters with migration backgrounds! Research in France and Germany has shown that when parties specifically target people with migration backgrounds, voter participation increases.
Want to learn more? Check out some of the research:
Just A, J. Anderson C. Immigrants, Citizenship and Political Action in Europe. British Journal of Political Science. 2012;42(3):481-509. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007123411000378
Pons V., Liegey G., Increasing the Electoral Participation of Immigrants: Experimental Evidence from France, The Economic Journal, Volume 129, Issue 617, January 2019, Pages 481–508, https://doi.org/10.1111/ecoj.12584
Slotwinski, M., Stutzer, A., & Bevelander, P. (2023). From participants to citizens? Democratic voting rights and naturalisation behaviour. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 49(13), 3184–3204. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2023.2193863