No Kings events across US focus on early voting before midterms

The No Kings movement organised about 3,000 events across the United States on Saturday to encourage Americans to vote early in the November 3 midterm elections, according to reports published on October 18. The elections will decide which party controls Congress.²³

From demonstrations to ballots

The latest gatherings placed voting ahead of protest against Donald Trump and his administration, Deutsche Welle reported. Organisers described the events as nonpartisan and said their purpose was to help eligible voters understand their choices and prepare to cast ballots before election day.²

In its October 16 preview, the Guardian reported that organisers and partner groups planned events in all 50 states and Washington, DC. Organisers aimed to set a US record for the number of early ballots cast on one day. That was their stated ambition, rather than a reported turnout result.¹

According to the Guardian, No Kings had organised three nationwide protest days beginning in summer 2025. Ezra Levin, an Indivisible co-founder involved in the coalition, said the test of the latest mobilisation should be whether it helped lift early voting to a record level for a midterm election.¹

The case for voting sooner

Organisers told the Guardian that voting early could reduce pressure on election workers, help voters avoid queues and leave time to resolve registration problems. They also argued that spreading voting over a longer period would reduce opportunities for interference. Those benefits were presented as the organisers’ case for participation.¹

The Guardian reported that early voting would already be available in about half of US states on Saturday. It identified New Hampshire, Alabama and Mississippi as states without in-person early voting. Deutsche Welle reported that most parts of the country permit ballots to be cast ahead of election day, sometimes weeks beforehand.¹²

The campaign comes amid disagreement over voting methods. According to Deutsche Welle, Trump has repeatedly criticised postal voting and sought restrictions before the midterms, while regularly using it himself and arguing that his work makes his circumstances different. The outlet also reported that he attributed his 2020 defeat to fraud without supplying evidence.²

Preparing volunteers

The Guardian reported plans for a volunteer network to defend the midterm results against attempts to undermine them. The main gathering was assigned to Atlanta, where the local 50501 network anticipated preparing upwards of 400 volunteers to monitor polling and defend the election.¹

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law was monitoring possible voter-roll purges, confiscation of ballots or equipment, and polling-place intimidation, its president, Damon Hewitt, told the Guardian. These were risks the group said it was monitoring, not reported outcomes of Saturday’s events.¹

Near the Capitol, participant Sabine Carlson, a 66-year-old retired teacher and Democrat from Washington’s suburbs, said voting mattered more than expressing frustration, the Japan Times reported. Her emphasis on casting a ballot echoed the organisers’ stated purpose for the day.²³