Push to vote early in US election
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The gist
The No Kings coalition held over 3,000 nonpartisan "Vote Early" events nationwide on Oct. 17.
More than 11 million had voted by Oct. 20, Democrats outpacing Republicans.
Background
No Kings is a coalition known for organizing anti-Trump protests, comprising hundreds of partner organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union and Black Voters Matter; it had held three prior days of nationwide protests since the start of Trump's second term. Organizers say the rallies are a pivot from protest to turnout, helping people check registration, make a voting plan and understand their rights ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms, when all 435 House seats, 33 Senate seats and 39 governorships are up for election. The early-voting push has come mainly from Democrats concerned about federal interference at polling sites and President Donald Trump's efforts to restrict mail-in voting.
How it unfolded
- Oct 15, 2026A voter casts a ballot in Raleigh, North Carolina.
- Oct 17, 2026Grassroots groups hold over 3,000 "No Kings: Vote Early" marches and events nationwide, billed as a nonpartisan effort to promote early voting.
- Oct 17, 2026Rallies draw a few hundred people in Somerville, New Jersey, dozens in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and crowds in Atlanta and San Francisco.
- Oct 19, 2026Early voting starts in Texas; California's regular voter registration deadline passes.
- Oct 20, 2026The University of Florida Election Lab's early vote tracker shows more than 11 million people have voted, including over 3 million in person and more than 7 million by mail.
- Oct 24, 2026Early in-person voting begins in New Jersey.
- Nov 3, 2026Midterm elections are held.
Who’s saying what
- Organizers
- No Kings organizers call it a day of nonpartisan voter participation, helping every eligible voter understand their options and make a plan to vote early.
- Organizers
- Indivisible co-founder Ezra Levin says the first three No Kings were designed to send a message, and the goals now are record midterm early-voting numbers and volunteers trained as poll watchers.
- Public
- Cheyenne resident Melissa Laybourn Leger says people have "taken about all we can take" on gas, food and housing prices and data centers.
- Public
- Somerville social studies teacher Lisa Moor said she was upset by the SAVE Act and by limits on women's right to vote.
- Official
- President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized mail-in voting and sought to restrict it ahead of the midterms, while regularly voting by mail himself and arguing his job makes him an exception.
Still unverified
Trump has blamed election fraud, without providing evidence, for his 2020 defeat to Joe Biden. Opinion polls suggest Democrats are poised to regain control of the House while the Senate remains too close to call. Opponents fear the Trump administration may try to interfere with the midterm results, particularly if Republicans lose the majority.