Connecticut will be host to dozens of “No Kings” rallies on Saturday, but this time, the focus is on early voting.
Organizers are billing it as a nationwide day of action focused on helping voters make a plan for the upcoming general election on Nov. 3.
Organizers include Indivisible, League of Women Voters, CT 50501 and General Strike Connecticut.
Early voting runs from Monday to Nov. 1. Every town must have at least one early voting location, open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with extended hours to 8 p.m. on Oct. 27 and 29.
Those dates are the backbone of Saturday’s message, and organizers say the point is giving voters time.
“The reason the emphasis is on voting early is because it gives everyone more time to fix any issues, such as being purged from the voter rolls or having trouble getting to the polls,” said Joanna Swomley, co-leader and co-founder of Indivisible Greenwich.
In Hartford, protesters plan to meet on the South Lawn of the Capitol at 11 a.m. Other events Saturday are scheduled to take place at New London’s Parade Plaza at 10 a.m., Stratford’s Paradise Green at 11 a.m. and Middletown’s City Hall at 9 a.m.
Saturday’s rally marks the fourth “No Kings” effort in Connecticut since its first organized demonstrations in June 2025. Police officials estimated 12,000 people attended Hartford’s rally in October 2025 and 5,500 people in March 2026.
Some towns are inviting participants to dress in black to honor victims of ICE, while other events will encourage banging pots and pans to make noise, a popular non-violent protest known as “Cacerolazo”.
Organizers said the event is more than just standing up against the Trump administration. Online webinars from the program have covered topics such as the importance of early voting, polling issues that may arise and protesters’ roles.
“We are going to have a voting table with QR codes to official websites. We’re going to make that information available to people who want to check their registration, get the hours and places to vote and things like that,” said Swomley.
Organizers issued reminders that Saturday’s “No Kings” events are meant to be nonviolent, nonpartisan protests.
Organizers say the movement isn’t tied to one party, and Swomley said that is central to why they want everyone to show up. She described the concern behind the protests as one that crosses party lines.
“Everyone should be concerned about an authoritarian takeover, regardless of your party or your affiliation. It’s irrelevant to what kind of government you want to have,” she said.