No Kings Rallies Focus on Midterm Early Voting

No Kings rallies unfolded in cities and communities across the United States on Saturday, as organizers urged people to vote early in the midterm elections. The events, billed as nonpartisan, came from a network that opposes President Donald Trump. Organizers planned hundreds of rallies.

Rallies Across the Country

At Washington’s Lincoln Memorial, a band played while a crowd that appeared to number a few hundred gathered. In the chilly weather, attendees wore caps and coats. Many danced. Signs read “VOTE EARLY” and “HANDS OFF MY VOTE!”

Organizers said the rallies would build on earlier No Kings marches and demonstrations by people upset with Trump’s presidency. Their focus was participation in the coming midterms, with early voting as the central message. The base account didn’t give an attendance total for all locations; it described hundreds of planned events.

The rallies came during a dispute over mail ballots and election administration. Trump has long questioned mail voting and claimed, without evidence, that voting fraud cost him the 2020 presidential election. The account says evidence doesn’t support that claim.

Dispute Over Mail Ballots

On Thursday, the Trump administration sued California election officials. It asked a judge to bar the state from counting midterm mail-in ballots from people the federal government has identified as “likely” noncitizens until officials confirm their immigration status.

The lawsuit concerns ballots submitted by people whose status the federal government flagged as likely noncitizen. It doesn’t represent a general change to the early-voting message at the rallies. The account doesn’t say how many ballots are involved or report a court ruling on the administration’s request.

On Friday, the Justice Department warned that local officials who process and tabulate ballots submitted by suspected noncitizen voters risk criminal investigation and potential prosecution. The federal government’s lawsuit seeks to limit the counting of a specific category of California mail-in ballots until officials confirm immigration status.

Senators Seek a DOJ Commitment

Earlier Friday, Democratic Sens. Alex Padilla of California, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Dick Durbin of Illinois wrote to Attorney General Todd Blanche. They demanded that the Justice Department pledge not to seize ballots or other election materials before officials certify the midterm elections.

The senators’ letter and the Justice Department warning addressed the handling of ballots and election materials before certification. The account doesn’t say the department seized ballots, and it reports no response from the attorney general to the senators’ demand.

In Atlanta, City Councilman Michael Julian Bond urged people at a rally to encourage others to vote before the Nov. 3 general election. “The Constitution gives you one power, right? That is the power to vote. Are you gonna use that power?” he said.

Bond invoked fictional superheroes. “You don’t see Superman giving up his power,” he said. “You don’t see Black Panther giving up his power. You don’t see Wonder Woman giving up her magic lasso.” He then asked why people would give up “your right, your power, your obligation to vote,” and urged them to go to the polls.

The rallies’ stated aim was to encourage early voting. The lawsuit, Justice Department warning and senators’ letter brought the handling of certain mail ballots and election materials into the wider public dispute over the coming midterms.