5 min read
The No Kings Vote Early day of action swept the country on Saturday, October 17.
More than 3000 actions in big cities and small towns turned protest energy into ballots.
For Black voters, the day carried a clear message. Power is not only spoken at a rally. Power is counted at the polls.
Major Takeaways
- More than 3000 No Kings Vote Early actions took place nationwide on Saturday, October 17.
- Organizers shifted the focus from protest alone to early voting, voting plans and election protection.
- Black Voters Matter hosted a party in Atlanta with food trucks and music before a group trip to vote.
- Events ran from the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson to ballot drop sites in Florida and Arizona.
No Kings Vote Early Puts Ballots at the Center
Earlier No Kings events drew millions of people into the streets across the country.
Saturday looked different by design. Marches led to polling places. Speakers led to voting plans.
Public Citizen co president Lisa Gilbert called the shift a strategic and critical move.
Gilbert said voting is the most tangible aspect of power that counters abuse of power.
She called Saturday a massive day of voter participation across the nation.
Organizers said the goal is turnout so high that claims of fraud lose all force.
That goal speaks directly to Black communities. Our votes have long been challenged, questioned and contested.
A landslide of early ballots answers doubt with numbers that cannot be ignored.
Black Voters Matter Turns a Party Into a Poll Trip
In Atlanta, Black Voters Matter hosted a party built around joy and purpose.
Food trucks served the crowd. Music filled the space. Neighbors gathered as a community.
Then the group moved together to a polling location to cast ballots.
The model is familiar in Black civic life. Church, family and celebration have always carried people to the polls.
In Phoenix, participants planned a march to the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center.
Their destination was practical. They went there to drop off their ballots in person.
In Chester, Pennsylvania, supporters held a tailgate party at a ballot drop box location.
In Indianapolis, two groups planned a march to the residence of the governor.
Each city shaped the day in its own way. Every version pointed voters toward the ballot.
Florida and Mississippi Show the Local Shape
Florida held dozens of events on Saturday morning and into the afternoon.
In Tallahassee, the gathering began at 10 in the morning outside the old Capitol.
Speakers worked to excite voters and ease worries about long lines and stress.
In Sarasota, the event ran at the local Supervisor of Elections office downtown.
Bradenton, Clearwater and Daytona Beach all started their events during the morning hours.
Florida early voting varies by county. Some counties open as early as Monday, October 19.
The statewide mandatory window runs from October 24 through October 31.
Mississippi held seven events across the state on Saturday.
Jackson gathered at the Mississippi State Capitol from 10:30 in the morning until noon.
Gulfport, Hattiesburg, Hernando, Oxford, Tupelo and Bay St. Louis also held events.
Mississippi organizers put the purpose in plain words. Turn people power into voter power.
They said every eligible voter in Mississippi should be ready before Election Day.
Why Early Voting Matters More This Fall
Election Day is November 3. The midterm elections will decide control of Congress and much more.
Governors, state lawmakers and local leaders will also be chosen by voters this fall.
Those offices shape daily life in Black communities. They shape schools, housing, health care and jobs.
Voting early protects a ballot from last minute problems at a polling place.
Long lines, bad weather, work shifts and family duties can all block a single day plan.
An early ballot is already counted in the turnout story before Election Day arrives.
Georgia has already shown what early energy can do this cycle.
Black voters there have cast about a third of all early ballots so far.
Organizers want that story repeated in state after state through October.
The coalition behind Saturday spans labor groups, civil rights groups and faith leaders.
Partners include Black Voters Matter Fund, Public Citizen, MoveOn and the American Civil Liberties Union.
The American Federation of Teachers and Voto Latino are also part of the coalition.
Organizers describe the events as nonpartisan voter participation work for eligible voters.
The White House dismissed the effort in a statement this week.
White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said the focus on voting proves there is no king.
Organizers answered that claim with action. They spent Saturday helping people vote.
What Organizers Want Voters to Do Next
The work does not end when Saturday events close.
Check your registration this weekend. Confirm your polling place and your early voting hours.
Make a concrete plan for the day you will cast your ballot.
Bring family with you. Bring a neighbor. Bring a young voter casting a first ballot.
Know what identification your state requires before you leave home.
If your state offers ballot drop options, learn the locations and deadlines now.
If you face a problem at the polls, ask an election official for help right away.
You can also contact voter protection programs in your state for guidance.
Black history teaches a steady lesson about the ballot. Rights survive when people use them together.
Saturday showed that lesson in real time, city by city and line by line.
The march is not finished. It now runs straight through the early voting line.
Read more in our News coverage, see how Georgia early voting is being powered by Black voters, read the NAACP lawsuit aiming to block federal poll monitors, and visit Urban City Podcast for more stories.
