On Saturday, Four Rivers Indivisible, a local advocacy volunteer organization, hosted a nonpartisan event to help turn out the vote by encouraging people to take advantage of early voting opportunities in the upcoming November 3 midterm elections. The event, held at Noble Park in Paducah, was the fourth No Kings rally the group has hosted and attracted over one hundred attendees.
The crowd was in good spirits: talking, singing, holding signs with slogans encouraging people to vote early, and waving at passersby. In reply, dozens of drivers waved back and honked their horns in support of the rallygoers, adding to the already festive feel of the event. A theme of the gathering was “Voting is Your Superpower,” and there were masks and capes for kids as well as rock painting and small giveaways for kids of all ages. A few of the adult organizers were dressed in superhero costumes, as well, including organizer Ann Reifenberger, who delivered a welcoming address to those gathered, ending with an encouraging directive to “be safe, be joyful, and VOTE!”
In support of the latter, rally organizers provided participants and community members with information about and access to important voting resources to check their voter registrations, determine early voting dates and times, locate polling places or ballot drop boxes, and organize rides to the polls ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
Early voting gives eligible voters more opportunity to make their voices heard and also gives them additional time to deal with problems that might keep them from voting on Election Day. In-person early voting in Kentucky will take place October 29-31. Early voting in Illinois has already begun and runs through November 2.
“We are fortunate that early voting is a viable, reliable option in both Kentucky and Illinois,” noted Karla Johnston, Co-Leader of Four Rivers Indivisible. “We encourage all eligible voters to utilize the opportunity to vote early if possible, or on Election Day, November 3. Our goal is to help ensure that everyone has a concrete voting plan and that every legal vote in our community is protected and counted.”
The event in Noble Park was one of more than 2,000 No Kings: Vote Early actions nationwide. Alex Waldrop, the Lead Marshal for the local event, stressed that “a core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action and no civil disobedience. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events.”
Groups that organized No Kings events across the country include the ACLU, American Federation of Teachers, Black Voters Matter Fund, 50501, Indivisible, League of Women Voters, MoveOn, Public Citizen, State Voices, and Voto Latino, among others. A full list of current partners is available at nokings.org/partners.
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