After 16 years as a U.S. citizen, Miami Beach man prepares to vote for the first time in the midterms

After 16 years as a U.S. citizen, 48-year-old Nicolas Mantovani is preparing to vote for the first time in the Nov. 3 midterm elections, hoping to make his voice heard after years of believing his vote would not make a difference.

Mantovani, a Miami Beach resident who immigrated to the United States from Argentina as a child, said confusion about the electoral system and doubts about the impact of a single vote kept him from participating in previous elections.

"2010 is where I gained my privilege to vote," Mantovani said. "That's a privilege that I never used."

Now, he wants to become more involved in his community and encourage younger voters to exercise a right he overlooked for more than a decade.

"I want to show the young, the new generations, that they have an opportunity to raise their voice and go vote," he said.

Years of uncertainty kept him from voting

Mantovani spent much of his education in the United States on a student visa before becoming a permanent resident and eventually a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2010.

Although citizenship gave him the right to vote, he said he never felt informed enough about the political system to participate.

Part of his hesitation came from questioning whether his vote could influence an election, particularly in presidential races decided through the Electoral College.

"My individual vote, my single vote, it really doesn't make a difference," Mantovani said, describing his previous mindset.

That belief, combined with his limited understanding of the voting process, kept him away from the polls for years.

But ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, Mantovani has decided to take a different approach.

Rather than continuing to sit out elections, he is learning more about politics, researching candidates and preparing to cast his first ballot.

For Mantovani, the decision represents an opportunity to become more engaged in the community where he lives and participate in decisions that affect its future.

Encouraging younger generations to get involved

Mantovani said his experience has also motivated him to encourage younger Americans, particularly first-time voters, not to let uncertainty about the electoral process prevent them from participating.

He understands how intimidating elections can seem to someone unfamiliar with the candidates, political issues or voting procedures.

But he believes voters do not need to be experts in politics to make informed decisions.

"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.

He encourages new voters to research candidates, ask questions and take the time to understand the issues before heading to the polls.

For Mantovani, casting his first ballot at 48 years old will mark a turning point after years of political disengagement.

While he cannot make up for the elections he missed, he hopes his experience will inspire others to recognize the importance of participating in the democratic process.

"I want to show the young, the new generations, that they have an opportunity to raise their voice and go vote," Mantovani said.

This story was written by a Florida International University journalism student for Caplin News, a publication of FIU's Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media, and edited by CBS News Miami.