Joni Mitchell says U.S. citizenship was to vote, adding she’ll always remain Canadian

The Story

Joni Mitchell says she became a U.S. citizen to be able to vote, while adding she has no intention of giving up her Canadian citizenship.

In a statement released Thursday, Mitchell said, “I became a citizen so I could vote. I didn’t give up my Canadian citizenship, and I never will.” She also shared the message on her Instagram story, offering clarification after a naturalization announcement earlier this week led to questions about her Canadian citizenship.

Mitchell said she made the announcement on Tuesday by posting a photo and video from her citizenship ceremony, in which she is shown smiling while holding an American flag in front of U.S. and Department of Homeland Security flags. Her caption referenced a “journey that began 62 years ago.”

The singer, now 82, said she is joining Neil Young as a dual citizen. Young, who was born in Toronto, became an American citizen in 2020 after living in the United States for decades.

Mitchell also announced “NEWS,” a new book featuring 23 of her paintings that responds to what she described as relentless news cycles and offers her view of “the world as she sees it today,” according to a release. The book is set for release Nov. 4.

Born Roberta Joan Anderson in Fort Macleod, Alta., in 1943 and raised in Saskatoon, Mitchell moved to Toronto in 1964 before relocating to Detroit with her then-husband and fellow musician Chuck Mitchell. Following their divorce, she moved to New York, releasing her debut album “Song to a Seagull” in 1968 and her breakthrough second album “Clouds” the following year.

Mitchell publicly lamented her inability to vote in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, including comments during an October 2024 concert at the Hollywood Bowl urging the audience to cast their ballots. She said at the time, “This is an important one,” and, “I wish I could vote — I’m Canadian. I’m one of those lousy immigrants.”