'No Kings' coalition plans 3,000-plus early-voting events across US on Saturday

Organizers of the 'No Kings' coalition have planned more than 3,000 events on Saturday, Oct. 17, to promote early voting ahead of the midterm elections, according to Newsweek and the Guardian US. The Seattle Times said the events are called 'No Kings: Vote Early'. Newsweek said organizers told it the events are meant to encourage voters to head to the polls rather than simply protest against President Donald Trump. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]

The Guardian reported that events will be held across all 50 states and Washington DC. Organizers told the paper that voting early can ease burdens on election workers and build confidence in voters, allowing them to avoid problems such as long lines and potential election threats. They hope to make Saturday the largest single day of early voting in US history and to build a volunteer network ready to defend the results of the 3 November midterms. Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible, part of the coalition, said: 'Saturday will be an anti-election sabotage effort.' [ 3 ]

The Seattle Times reported that the events will help people form voting plans, such as requesting absentee ballots, checking voter registrations or finding neighbors to drive them to the polls. Organizers wrote on the event website that the effort is meant as 'a different model of mass nonpartisan public engagement from previous mobilizations'. The coalition lists about 200 partners, with a steering committee that includes the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Federation of Teachers and the League of Women Voters, the paper said. [ 4 ]

A spokesperson for the coalition said in a statement to Newsweek that casting a ballot is now 'our primary tool of making our voices heard'. The White House responded through spokeswoman Lauren Bis, who told Newsweek the group should change its name. 'The fact that the "No Kings" organizers are talking about voting in the upcoming election proves they should change their name,' she said. [ 1 ]

The Guardian said No Kings began as a protest movement during Trump's second term, organizing three days of nationwide protests beginning in the summer of 2025. Newsweek said the first major wave came on June 14, 2025, the day of a military parade marking the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary. The Seattle Times said there have been three previous rounds of demonstrations. Hunter Dunn, an organizer with 50501, told the Guardian that No Kings needs to be more than just getting people together every couple of months on a Saturday and marching. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]

In Washington state, the Seattle Times said dozens of 'No Kings: Vote Early' rallies are planned on Saturday. It said earlier rallies there have drawn tens of thousands of people, if not more than 100,000. [ 5 ]