Nicolas Mantovani, 48, Prepares to Vote for First Time as a Citizen

Nicolas Mantovani will cast his first-ever ballot this year, 16 years after he gained the right to do so. The 48-year-old Miami Beach resident became a U.S. citizen in 2010, but he did not participate in an election until now.

Mantovani arrived in the United States from Argentina as a child. He spent much of his time in school on a student visa, later secured permanent residency, and eventually became a citizen. "2010 is where I gained my privilege to vote," he said. "That's a privilege that I never used."

He said he stayed away from the polls because he did not feel he understood how elections worked. He questioned the weight of his own ballot, particularly in presidential races decided through the Electoral College. "My individual vote, my single vote, it really doesn't make a difference," Mantovani said.

He is now preparing to participate on Nov. 3. He said he wants to take part in his community and that he has started reading about politics as part of getting ready. He also wants to address voters who are younger than he is. "You don't have to be an engineer to go vote. If you're lost like I was and you don't know exactly who the candidates are, there's a lot of information online," he said.

Mantovani said his own confusion about the process should not prevent anyone from taking part. "I want to show the young, the new generations, that they have an opportunity to raise their voice and go vote," he said.

The account of Mantovani's preparation for the election came from a story originally published by Caplin News, a publication of FIU's Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media, through an editorial content partnership with the WLRN newsroom.