Photos: Meet some of Atlanta's newest U.S. citizens

Metro Atlanta

Meet some of Atlanta's newest U.S. citizens

Photos: Meet some of Atlanta's newest U.S. citizens

Naturalization candidates take the "Oath of Allegiance."

GALEO Executive Director Jerry Gonzalez, left, helps Voeung Trung, from Cambodia, fill out a voter registration form after the ceremony.

An American flag hangs on a clipboard as Juliana Mercedes Villa, from the Dominican Republic, fills out a voter registration form after becoming a United States citizen.

Doralba Ruiz, from Columbia, receives a certificate that declares her a United States citizen.

Juliana Mercedes Villa, from the Dominican Republic, receives a certificate that declares her a United States citizen.

Latino rights groups have asked two metro Atlanta counties, Gwinnett and Hall, to provide Spanish-language ballots – a move that could speed up a significant shift in Georgia politics. Here, naturalization candidates go through the procedures necessary to become U.S. citizens. -- Text by Branden Camp and David Wickert, AJC; photo gallery by Mandi Albright, AJC

In letters to Gwinnett and Hall officials, the Latino groups say the counties are required to provide bilingual ballots because of a provision of the Voting Rights Act covering Puerto Ricans, who are American citizens but may not use English as their primary language. Others say ballots should remain in English, and that immigrants should learn the language if they want to vote.

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Naturalization candidates take the "Oath of Allegiance."

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