From protest to the polls, No Kings organizers make push for early voting in NC

Under gloomy skies and light rain, a crowd gathered outside Wake Forest Town Hall Saturday, holding homemade signs and occasionally erupting with applause as speakers urged them to turn their opposition to the Trump administration into action at the ballot box. 

“Do we believe in the power of the people? Do we believe in the power of our vote?” Keith Shannon, political action chair for the NAACP’s Wake-Wendell branch, asked the crowd. 

His message was direct: Vote early, make a plan and help someone get to the polls. 

The Wake Forest gathering was one of many No Kings events across the state as the nationwide movement encourages political participation ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.  

Attendees handed out buttons, pins and flyers while waving painted signs expressing frustration with the administration and encouraging people to vote.

“When we vote, the needle moves,”  Shannon told the crowd. “The laws change when we vote. Our communities are heard.” 

Scott Peoples, of Veterans for Responsible Leadership, also urged attendees to get involved, reminding the crowd that “democracy is not a spectator sport.” 

For some demonstrators, that work extends beyond showing up at protests. At events across the Triangle, participants described efforts to educate their neighbors, explain ballot measures and help voters make a plan to cast their ballots. 

At Chavis Memorial Park in Raleigh, more than 50 gathered in front of the park’s early voting center with umbrellas, ponchos and tents to shield themselves from the rain and wind.  

Joshua Bradley, one of four candidates running for the  Raleigh City Council At-large seat, was at the park to join demonstrators and encourage more voting participation. 

He said active voting is only part of the political change he wants to see. 

“People are like, ‘Vote out Trump, stop the war,’ and I agree. But then what? We’ve got to keep organizing on top of it,” he said. 

In more conservative Johnston County, a much smaller crowd gathered at the Clayton Town Square, but they were also focused on the importance of civic engagement. 

Mary Blank, co-leader of Indivisible Johnston County, said the event was intended to help people understand their voting options and make a plan to vote early. 

Indivisible is one of several groups that organize the No Kings events.

“We are taking the next step by turning people power into voter power,” she said. 

Cars honked as drivers slowed to look at and read the signs protesters waved. Music played over speakers, and some people danced in the rain. 

For Ed Sanderford, a member of the grassroots advocacy group Down Home North Carolina, voting is connected to issues that affect people’s daily lives, including the cost of living and political polarization. 

He attended the Clayton rally to help inform voters about their ballots. 

“It all starts with your local government,” he said. “It’s important to recognize that what you do locally affects the bigger picture.”