Mar. 10, Feature - A backlog in naturalization applications may mean that some immigrants won't be able to vote in November's election, even though the qualify for citizenship. Tanya Snyder talked to immigrants studying for their citizenship exam about their hopes and fears about participating in the next election.

As election fever hits the United States, many are wanting to participate – including immigrants. Applications for citizenship have skyrocketed in the last year.

Jaime Delgadillo explains why he's taking the exam now:

"Somos muchos que estamos estuudiano por la ciudadnia precisamente para votar"
'Many of us are studying for citizenship precisely to be able to vote'

Latino immigrants feel they have a stake in the outcome of this election. Although many are concerned about the economy, schools, and the war in Iraq, it was the surge of immigration-related legislation a few years ago that caused a parallel surge in Latino political participation. Maria Solórzano, another potential US citizen:

" Con este voto que yo pienso dar apoyraia los inmigrantes que hay tanta descriminacion, que los tratan como delincuentes, van presos sin causar dano a nadie, solo por ser inmigrantes, solo por no tener documento que sea valido en este pais.
With this vote that I hope to make, I would be supporting immigrants because there's so much discrimination, they're treated like criminals, they're put in jail even though they haven't hurt anybody, just for being immigrants, just for not having a document that's valid in this country.

The massive immigrant-rights marches of the Spring of 2006 woke the so-called "sleeping giant" of Latino political power. The ballot box may be the next place that giant roars – if it gets the chance.

Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts outlined the problem in a recent committee hearing:

Over the past year the naturalization backlog has increased form 6 to 18 mos. This is troubling. A significant number of potential us citizens files their naturalization hoping to vote in the upcoming November election. Thousands of applicants have been left in limbo. Basic fairness dictates that these naturalization applications are processed in time to allow these individuals a chance to participate in our democracy.

Citizenship applicants are nervous about the delays.

(Rosa) Todo estamos esperando para el dia de la cita del examen, no nos llega nada, esperando, pero si autentaron los precios.
We're all waiting to find out when's our exam date, right, and nothing comes, we're just waiting, but they go ahead and raise the prices.

(Angelica) Antes de aumentar dijo que van a aumentar para que haga mas rapido pero al reves. No hacen nada.
Before their raised them they said they were raising prices to make the process quicker, but it's just the opposite: They're not doing anything.

(Jaime) Y otra cosa que si, estan muchos esperando votar por ejemplo ahora en Noviembre, calucualndo, dicen que usualmente tarda un ano. Ojala sea verdad y podemos votar muchos en Noviembre.
And another thing is that, so many of us are hoping to vote, for example, in November, calculating, well, they say it usually takes a year. Hopefully that's true and we'll all be able to vote in November.