# Joni Mitchell becomes US citizen after 62 years

> The 82-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter completes her citizenship journey, gaining the right to vote in US elections.
- Title: Joni Mitchell becomes US citizen after 62 years · the Guardian
- Summary: The 82-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter completes her citizenship journey, gaining the right to vote in US elections. Joni Mitchell, 82, became a US…
- Keywords: joni mitchell, us citizenship, canadian musician, folk music, voting rights, news, world, Joni, Mitchell, becomes, citizen, years
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/music/2026/oct/14/joni-mitchell-becomes-us-citizen-a-journey-that-began-62-years-ago
- Published: 2026-10-14T08:39:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: joni mitchell, us citizenship, canadian musician, folk music, voting rights, news, world
## Mitchell completes citizenship journey
Joni Mitchell, 82, has become a US citizen after first moving to the country in the mid-1960s. The Canada-born singer-songwriter posted footage of her citizenship ceremony on Instagram.

> A journey that began 62 years ago
## Mitchell can now vote in elections
Mitchell can now vote in US elections, something she had complained she was unable to do. At a concert in 2024, she said she wished she could vote as a Canadian immigrant.

> I wish I could vote ... I'm a Canadian. I'm one of those lousy immigrants.
## From Fort Macleod to Los Angeles
Mitchell was born in Fort Macleod, Alberta, in 1943. She moved to the US in 1965 after marrying folk singer Chuck Mitchell, and eventually settled in Los Angeles' Laurel Canyon, where she recorded her first…
## Biopic in development with Meryl Streep
Director Cameron Crowe is preparing a biopic about Mitchell, beginning work in the early 2020s. Record executive Clive Davis announced earlier this year that Meryl Streep would play Mitchell in the film.
## Key takeaway

Joni Mitchell, 82, became a US citizen after moving to the country in the mid-1960s, fulfilling a long-held wish to vote in American elections.