No Kings rallies draw thousands nationwide, urge early voting

On Oct. 17 more than 3,000 No Kings actions nationwide focused on encouraging early voting and boosting turnout, with organizers saying the impact will be clear only after states release early voting figures. Public Citizen Co-President Lisa Gilbert described the day as a "strategic move" to help people exercise voting power and counter abuses, urging early ballots to show that the Trump administration's approach is unacceptable. Events ranged from marches to polling sites and ballot dropoffs to voting information booths and vehicle parades, including groups in Indianapolis who marched to the governor's residence and protesters in Phoenix who marched to the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center to drop off ballots. In Oregon about 1,200 people marched through downtown Salem, and in Tallahassee a papier-mâché "Eyeball Brigade" staged a public demonstration called "Eyes Are Watching." Organizers in Charleston, West Virginia, and elsewhere repeatedly told crowds to vote early as the primary message; Black Voters Matter in Atlanta held a party with food trucks and music before moving as a group to a polling location. The White House dismissed the organizers' emphasis on voting as evidence there is no authoritarian ruler, while No Kings leaders said the goal was turnout so high it would be hard for the administration to claim fraud.