{"id":10498,"date":"2026-10-07T10:34:25","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T14:34:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitedwaysem.org\/?post_type=impact_story&p=10498"},"modified":"2026-10-07T10:52:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T14:52:18","slug":"why-i-vote-valerie-mitchell-detroit","status":"publish","type":"impact_story","link":"https:\/\/unitedwaysem.org\/es\/impact-stories\/why-i-vote-valerie-mitchell-detroit\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I Vote: Valerie Mitchell, Detroit"},"template":"","class_list":["post-10498","impact_story","type-impact_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"details":{"featured_image":10492,"quote":"This election is so important because it\u2019s about our rights as women and men. I\u2019m voting because I care about my rights.","citation":"Valerie Mitchell, Detroit","topic":false,"program_theme":false,"button_text":"Read More"},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_impact_story_hero","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_impact_story_hero":{"kicker_text":"Why I Vote","heading":"Valerie Mitchell, Detroit","summary":"Originally published in October 2024.","image":10492,"cta":""}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_wysiwyg":{"content":"This is my first election voting because I just realized I could. It started with Angela at the Voting Access for All Coalition (VAAC)<\/a>. She\u2019s the one who let me know I could vote since I was out of prison.\r\n\r\nI didn\u2019t know I had the right because in prison they told us we could not vote as felons. So, when Angela told me, I hurried to get registered to vote in this election. I already voted last Saturday, after the Soles to the Poles event.\r\n\r\nNow, I\u2019m the field lead for VAAC canvassers and I get people registered to vote. I ran past a couple of phone calls where people told me, \u201cOh, I can never vote because I\u2019m a felon.\u201d And I say, \u201cYou\u2019ll be amazed because I\u2019m just like you.\u201d\r\n\r\nI\u2019ve already got 20 returning citizens registered, and they voted early. I have a lot of organizations behind me: I\u2019m a C.V.I. advocate for FORC Detroit<\/a> and I work with Godmother\u2019s Touch<\/a> while running my own business. They helped me learn more about the resources for returning citizens \u2013 from jobs to transportation for voting.\r\n\r\nThis election is so important because it\u2019s about our rights as women and men. I\u2019m voting because I care about my rights.","right_rail_type":"none","stat":{"title":"","abstract":""},"image":null,"callout":{"text":"","abstract":""},"":null,"settings":""}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_our_impact","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_our_impact":{"header":{"title":"More stories like this...","abstract":"","link":""},"dynamic_population":false,"version":"1","topic_filter":[],"program_theme_filter":[],"layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"version_4","story_col_1":10491,"story_col_2":4060}]}}]},"yoast_head":"\nWhy I Vote: Valerie Mitchell, Detroit - United Way for Southeastern Michigan<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This is my first election voting because I just realized I could. It started with Angela at the Voting Access for All Coalition (VAAC). 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