Early ballots are the focus as No Kings rallies across the U.S. urge voters to cast votes ahead of midterms

Nationwide rallies promote early voting

The No Kings network organized rallies in communities across the country on Saturday, with early voting in the midterms as a central focus. Organizers billed hundreds of planned events as nonpartisan.

The gatherings followed nearly two years of No Kings marches and demonstrations by people opposed to Trump’s presidency. In Washington, D.C., a band played for a crowd of a few hundred people near the Lincoln Memorial despite chilly weather.

Atlanta speaker urges participation

At an Atlanta rally, City Councilman Michael Julian Bond encouraged people to urge others to vote before the Nov. 3 general election. He compared voting power to the abilities of superheroes. Bond asked the crowd, “Are you gonna use that power?” He also urged attendees to go to the polls and vote.

Mail voting draws federal scrutiny

Trump has questioned mail voting and made an unsupported claim that fraud cost him the 2020 presidential election. On Thursday, his administration sued California election officials, seeking to stop the state from counting certain mail ballots until voters’ immigration status is confirmed.

The Justice Department warned local officials Friday that processing and counting ballots from suspected noncitizens could expose them to criminal investigation and prosecution. Earlier that day, Sens. Alex Padilla, Sheldon Whitehouse and Dick Durbin asked Attorney General Todd Blanche to pledge that the department would not seize ballots or other election materials before the midterms are certified.