After three nationwide protest mobilizations, No Kings is turning its attention to voter participation ahead of the midterm elections.
Organizers of No Kings have announced a fourth nationwide mobilization for Saturday, Oct. 17, focused on early voting and helping voters make a plan for the midterm elections. “Power belongs to the people, but only if we use it,” organizers wrote.
The first nationwide No Kings Day was June 14, 2025, President Donald Trump’s birthday and the same day as his military parade in Washington. The second, held Oct. 18, 2025, came amid mounting opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and deployments of federal forces in U.S. cities. (The flagship event was held in Minneapolis-St. Paul, the site of the deaths of two residents, Renée Nicole Macklin Good and Alex Pretti, at the hands of federal agents.) The third, on March 28 of this year, drew an estimated 8 million people to more than 3,300 events worldwide.
In total, the three previous mobilizations brought hundreds of millions of people into the streets to oppose Trump administration policies on immigration, women’s and reproductive rights, press freedom and federal power, and to raise broader concerns about democratic institutions and the rule of law.
The upcoming Oct. 17 day of action, No Kings: Vote Early, will include community events aimed at helping voters check their registration, understand their voting options and cast their ballots early where possible. Think: block parties, cookouts, human chains and fun runs (or walks, or wheels, or carpools) to the polls.
The goal is to make sure every voter has a clear plan before Election Day on Nov. 3.
In states where in-person early voting is available by Oct. 17, organizers are encouraging participants to vote that day.
In states where it is not, voters can use the day to check their registration, request or return an absentee ballot, review voter ID requirements, locate their polling place or make an Election Day plan.
Explore No Kings 4 resources: Make a voting plan; find an event near you; or host one yourself.
The Feminist Stakes of the Midterms
Abortion has been a salient motivator for voters in the past, especially women voters, and will be a central issue in the upcoming midterms.
- Voters in Idaho, Missouri, Nevada and Virginia will consider abortion-related ballot measures. (Missouri’s measure would restrict rights approved by voters in 2024, while Idaho’s would establish protections for reproductive freedom and privacy.)
- Nevada voters will decide for a second time whether to add abortion protections to the state constitution, as required for the amendment to take effect.
- Virginia’s proposed reproductive-freedom amendment addresses abortion as well as prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, miscarriage management and fertility care.
(Keep an eye out for a forthcoming comprehensive piece tracking all the abortion-related ballot measures Ms. editors are watching.)
Voters will also encounter consequential questions involving the cost of childcare and healthcare; paid family and medical leave; Medicaid, Medicare and Affordable Care Act policy; maternal health; workplace equality; and protections for LGBTQ+ people. Some state ballots include measures addressing healthcare for transgender minors or eligibility rules for school sports. Virginia voters will also consider proposed constitutional amendments concerning marriage equality and voting rights.
Speaking of voting rights: This is already shaping up to be an unprecedented election season marked by litigation over voting rules. The Trump administration recently sought to impose new U.S. Postal Service requirements for mail ballots shortly before voting began. The Supreme Court left those requirements blocked for the 2026 elections, but the underlying legal challenge will continue.
How to Make a Voting Plan
Voting early can give voters time to address problems such as an outdated registration, a signature mismatch or a delayed or rejected mail ballot. Early and mail voting are particularly important for people whose work schedules, caregiving responsibilities, disabilities, health concerns or access to transportation make voting on Election Day difficult.
Election rules and deadlines vary by state. Voters can use Vote.gov or the National Association of Secretaries of State’s nonpartisan Can I Vote site to reach their official state election website and:
- Check registration. Confirm that the name and address on the voter record are current, particularly after a move or name change. If registration is needed, check the state deadline and whether online, mail or same-day registration is available.
- Choose how to vote. Review the options for in-person early voting, absentee or mail voting and Election Day voting. Some states require an excuse to vote absentee, while others allow any eligible voter to request a mail ballot or automatically send ballots to registered voters.
- If voting by mail, start early. Check the deadline to request a ballot and whether the completed ballot must be received or merely postmarked by Election Day. Follow the instructions carefully, including signature and envelope requirements, and use ballot tracking if your state offers it.
- If voting in person, confirm the details. Look up the correct polling place or vote center, voting hours and any identification requirements before leaving. VoteRiders provides state-by-state information and assistance with voter ID.
- Know basic rights at the polls. Voters generally have the right to remain in line if they arrived before the polls closed, request a new ballot after making a mistake and ask for a provisional ballot if their name does not appear on the voter list. Federal law also protects access to disability accommodations and, in covered jurisdictions, language assistance. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission and the ACLU’s Know Your Voting Rights guide provide more information.
Voters with questions or problems can call or text the nonpartisan Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683). Assistance is also available in Spanish and English at 888-VE-Y-VOTA, in several Asian languages and English at 888-API-VOTE, and in Arabic and English at 844-YALLA-US.
Information about local Oct. 17 events is available at NoKings.org.
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A note from Ms. editors: We want to hear from you for The Majority, a new campaign collecting stories about how reproductive freedom has enabled readers to build the lives they want and need. Poll after poll shows a majority of Americans support reproductive healthcare access. Yet public debate overlooks the lives shaped by abortion access, contraception, IVF, miscarriage care, maternal healthcare or comprehensive sex education—countless women who chose to pursue an education, have children, not have children, protect their health and chart their own future. Add your voice and complete the sentence: “Access to reproductive choices gave me the freedom to….” Together, these stories will help show not only why reproductive freedom remains a majority value, but also what it makes possible.
