RALEIGH, N.C. — Rain and wind did not keep No Kings supporters away from Chavis Memorial Park in Raleigh on Saturday, where the movement swapped its usual protest focus for a push to get people to the polls during early voting.
More than 50 people huddled under tents, ponchos and umbrellas in front of the early voting center at the park, holding signs that urged passersby to vote. Another No Kings event in the area planned a paddle to the polls at Lake Johnson in southwest Raleigh.
The Raleigh gathering was one stop in a busy day for the group across the Triangle, with rallies also held in Apex and Durham, and other crowds in Wake Forest and Clayton. Organizers said in a release that the events, which they describe as nonviolent and nonpartisan, numbered nearly 3,000 nationwide and dozens in North Carolina, all aimed at turning out early voters.
Speakers at events around Wake County pressed the same plan: vote early, map out how you will get to the polls and help someone else get there too. Earlier No Kings rallies centered on frustration with the Trump White House and what it has done, but this round put the ballot first.
Early voting in North Carolina has started fast. More than 200,000 North Carolina voters showed up to cast ballots in person when early voting opened, and the early voting window stays open through Saturday, Oct. 31. Election day for the midterms is Nov. 3.
Wake County voters can use any early voting site in the county, not just the one closest to home, so a stop at Chavis Park works for anyone registered in the county.
Section: More Raleigh NC politics news
Filed under: Raleigh NC Politics News
