The rallies, described by organisers as nonpartisan, aimed to encourage early voting to reduce the risk of any malfeasance on election day. At the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, a band entertained a crowd of a few hundred people, many holding signs reading 'VOTE EARLY' and 'HANDS OFF MY VOTE!'. In Atlanta, City Councilman Michael Julian Bond addressed the crowd, urging them to use their right to vote. 'The Constitution gives you one power, right? That is the power to vote. Are you gonna use that power?' Bond said. 'You don't see Superman giving up his power... So why would you give up your right, your power, your obligation to vote? Be a superhero, use your power. Go to the polls and vote.'
The No Kings network has organised protests against President Trump since his election. The latest events come as the Trump administration takes legal action against California over noncitizen voter rolls. On Thursday, the administration sued California election officials, asking a judge to bar the state from counting mail-in ballots from people the federal government has identified as 'likely' noncitizens. The Department of Justice warned on Friday that local officials processing such ballots could face criminal investigation. Democratic Senators Alex Padilla, Sheldon Whitehouse and Dick Durbin wrote to Attorney General Todd Blanche, demanding that the Justice Department commit to not seizing ballots or election materials before the midterm elections are certified.