Help!! I registered to vote by accident

[N400Me 30]

Hello everyone,

 

My Naturalization interview is tomorrow morning and last night I found out that I am registered to vote!! 

 I'm in New Jersey and have checked my voter information online. I only saw that my registration is active but no actual voting record.

 

I have sent an email to the elections commissioner to be deregistered. 

 

What does this mean in easier to understand terms: 

• Clarifies that USCIS will not penalize an applicant who unknowingly or unwilfully registers to vote.

 

I don't know what else to do. I really want to be approved tomorrow 😩

 

Please help me 

 

 

[SalishSea 16,770]

12 minutes ago, N400Me said:

Hello everyone,

 

My Naturalization interview is tomorrow morning and last night I found out that I am registered to vote!! 

 I'm in New Jersey and have checked my voter information online. I only saw that my registration is active but no actual voting record.

 

I have sent an email to the elections commissioner to be deregistered. 

 

What does this mean in easier to understand terms: 

• Clarifies that USCIS will not penalize an applicant who unknowingly or unwilfully registers to vote.

 

I don't know what else to do. I really want to be approved tomorrow 😩

 

Please help me 

 

 

@pushbrk?

[N400Me 30]

16 minutes ago, Jorgedig said:

@pushbrk?

How should I handle this at the interview tomorrow? 

 

What exactly is the uscis new guideline saying? My brain is all over the place right now!

 

Any suggestion is greatly appreciated 

[SalishSea 16,770]

3 minutes ago, N400Me said:

How should I handle this at the interview tomorrow? 

 

What exactly is the uscis new guideline saying? My brain is all over the place right now!

 

Any suggestion is greatly appreciated 

I tagged a senior VJ member who has knowledge about this very situation.   Hopefully he will notice, and weigh in with some advice for you.

[N400Me 30]

4 minutes ago, Jorgedig said:

I tagged a senior VJ member who has knowledge about this very situation.   Hopefully he will notice, and weigh in with some advice for you.

Thank you so much. All help is greatly appreciated 

[seablock 23]

USCIS “will not penalize an applicant who unknowingly or un-willfully registers to vote."   The question they will probably ask is if you were registered through the driver's license process by accident or unknowingly.  And hopefully you have never stated that you were a US citizen as this is a violation of the law. 

 

USCIS will not consider an applicant for naturalization “to have unlawfully registered to vote if the applicant did not complete or sign the voter registration section… in the motor vehicle or other state benefit application.” However, it could be a different issue if the person did sign that portion of the renewal form dealing with registering to vote.

 

USCIS would not consider an applicant “to have unlawfully claimed to be a U.S. citizen if the applicant did not affirmatively indicate that he or she is a U.S. citizen.” However, if the applicant did register to vote, the applicant would have to prove that the registration form did not contain a question about whether the applicant is a U.S. citizen, or that the applicant did not indicate, in response to that question, that he or she is a U.S. citizen.  Therefore, if the form asks if a person is a U.S. citizen, and they checked the “yes” box, they could have problems.

 

If the person knowingly answered “yes” to a question asking whether he or she is a U.S. citizen in order to vote, they would be in violation of the law for having falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen.

[pushbrk 12,106]

2 hours ago, seablock said:

USCIS “will not penalize an applicant who unknowingly or un-willfully registers to vote."   The question they will probably ask is if you were registered through the driver's license process by accident or unknowingly.  And hopefully you have never stated that you were a US citizen as this is a violation of the law. 

 

USCIS will not consider an applicant for naturalization “to have unlawfully registered to vote if the applicant did not complete or sign the voter registration section… in the motor vehicle or other state benefit application.” However, it could be a different issue if the person did sign that portion of the renewal form dealing with registering to vote.

 

USCIS would not consider an applicant “to have unlawfully claimed to be a U.S. citizen if the applicant did not affirmatively indicate that he or she is a U.S. citizen.” However, if the applicant did register to vote, the applicant would have to prove that the registration form did not contain a question about whether the applicant is a U.S. citizen, or that the applicant did not indicate, in response to that question, that he or she is a U.S. citizen.  Therefore, if the form asks if a person is a U.S. citizen, and they checked the “yes” box, they could have problems.

 

If the person knowingly answered “yes” to a question asking whether he or she is a U.S. citizen in order to vote, they would be in violation of the law for having falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen.

There is the authoritative answer.  Do you know how you got registered?  If it was through a driver license application or renewal, get a copy of the form that is used.

 

[N400Me 30]

3 minutes ago, pushbrk said:

There is the authoritative answer.  Do you know how you got registered?  If it was through a driver license application or renewal, get a copy of the form that is used.

 

I have contacted the elections commission. I'll check with them to see if it was done at the DMV and see if I can get a copy. Do you think I should reschedule the interview?

[pushbrk 12,106]

3 minutes ago, N400Me said:

I have contacted the elections commission. I'll check with them to see if it was done at the DMV and see if I can get a copy. Do you think I should reschedule the interview?

No.  If the only option you can think of is the DMV, go ahead and get the form.  Then you will know if there is a specific citizenship question.  If there isn't, show that in the interview, if asked.  Be sure to tell the truth.  You did not intend to register to vote and you haven't voted.  Right???

[N400Me 30]

1 minute ago, pushbrk said:

No.  If the only option you can think of is the DMV, go ahead and get the form.  Then you will know if there is a specific citizenship question.  If there isn't, show that in the interview, if asked.  Be sure to tell the truth.  You did not intend to register to vote and you haven't voted.  Right???

Pardon me, so I should reschedule the interview and then get the form from the DMV to make sure that there wasn't a specific question about citizenship? 

 

Also, I never voted or intended to. 

[pushbrk 12,106]

2 minutes ago, N400Me said:

Pardon me, so I should reschedule the interview and then get the form from the DMV to make sure that there wasn't a specific question about citizenship? 

 

Also, I never voted or intended to. 

I didn't say anything about rescheduling the interview.  I would NOT do that.  Deal with it the best you can.  If the form is an issue and you are interviewing in your state of residence, the officer probably already knows everything they need to know about the form.  Be honest.  Take it a step at a time.

[N400Me 30]

2 minutes ago, pushbrk said:

I didn't say anything about rescheduling the interview.  I would NOT do that.  Deal with it the best you can.  If the form is an issue and you are interviewing in your state of residence, the officer probably already knows everything they need to know about the form.  Be honest.  Take it a step at a time.

Thank you so much. I will go and show them proof from the nj voter information portal that I never voted in an election and that an email was sent to be deregistered as this all was an error. 

[seablock 23]

On 6/16/2021 at 10:32 AM, Deagle said:

1 hour ago, N400Me said:

Thank you so much. I will go and show them proof from the nj voter information portal that I never voted in an election and that an email was sent to be deregistered as this all was an error. 

 

Review your N-400 application.  Especially your answer to the questions: "Have you EVER registered to vote in any Federal, state, or local election in the United States?" and "Have you EVER claimed to be a U.S. citizen (in writing or any other way)?" The Immigration Services Officer probably will ask some questions from your application. 

[bakphx1 785]

This happens lot.  The main thing it will come down to is intent.  If you never intended to register to vote, that will be a strong indicator in your favor.   Since New Jersey has a motor voter law that automatically registers driver license applicants to vote, they can chalk it up to you not meaning to register.  Some clerks can be aggressive on this point. The fact you didn’t vote is very helpful.

[-MDV- 15]

I just don't understand if they are just trapping immigrants with this voting registration. English is not the first language of most immigrants and It takes only 1 mistake to be registered wrongly. But when it comes to immigrations they request immigrants to show as much evidences and paperworks that  they have and all these complicated forms and processing. But when it comes to registering to vote, how come they don't even ask to show any evidence of being a US citizen? And eventually use it against the immigrants when they apply to naturalize later on when they registered accidentaly. Where is the credibility of the American election, if it's that easy to register and possibly vote? 

 

 

Edited July 19, 2021 by -MDV-