Hampton man casts first vote as U.S. citizen

By: 
Nick Pedley

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     September 10, 2013, will always be an unforgettable day in the memory of Hamptonite Frankie Aliu.

     The Hampton-Dumont school board election on Sept. 10 was the first time Aliu could cast a vote as a full-blown American citizen. From 1999 through this summer, he lived here as a legal resident after his family moved to the United States from Macedonia. However, his status changed this July when he was granted full citizenship after completing the U.S. Immigration Service's rigorous accreditation process.

     Aliu admitted the procedure was time consuming, but worth it in the end.

     "It was very exciting," he said about his first election. "I wouldn't say I was nervous. I was more excited to vote than nervous."

     Aliu described the voting process as simple and hassle free. Before he could vote, he had to register when he arrived at the polls in the Franklin County Courthouse. Aliu showed the election staff his driver's license and a paystub to verify his place of residence, and then he was off to the booth to cast his first vote.

Read the full article in the Sept. 18 edition of the Hampton Chronicle.

Hampton Chronicle

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