DETROIT – Michiganders cast a record number of ballots in the primary, and with the 2026 midterms approaching, nonpartisan groups like the League of Women Voters are working to engage first-time voters.
The League hosted a “Unite & Rise for Voting Rights” Day of Action in Detroit Saturday, one of hundreds of events held nationwide.
The event at the University of Michigan Detroit Center brought together community leaders, organizers, artists, advocates and residents to promote civic engagement and voting rights.
Nineteen-year-old Faith Coats attended after casting her first ballot earlier in the week. She also read a poem at the event.
“It’s very important to vote,” Coats said. “I think young people need to vote as well.”
Organizers said the League’s goal is to educate voters without telling them how to vote.
“We don’t support or oppose candidates or parties,” Celina said. “Our goal is to give people information to feel confident to go to the ballot, but what choice you make is yours when you get there.”
The Detroit event is part of the League’s Unite & Rise 8.5 initiative. Organizers said the nationwide effort aims to engage and mobilize 8.5 million voters by November 2026.
For Coats, voting for the first time was easier than she expected.
“It was a little nerve-wracking,” Coats said. “I walked in with my mom, and I was like, ‘omg, what do I do? Cause I’ve never done it before,’ but it was pretty easy and simple.”
Coats said she hopes more young people turn out to vote this year.
Organizers said the events give people a nonpartisan way to learn about issues in their communities and get involved.
“Right now, people are wanting to do something and they want action,” Celina said. “This provides an opportunity for people to be civically engaged in a nonpartisan way.”