No Kings Rally at Mobile’s Government Plaza Turns Focus to Voter Registration Before Monday Deadline

MOBILE, Ala. — Indivisible Mobile will hold a No Kings rally, billed as “No Kings: Get Out the Vote,” Saturday on the front steps of Government Plaza in downtown Mobile, part of a nationwide day of action that shifts the No Kings movement from mass protest to voter registration checks and election planning just two days before Alabama’s registration deadline.

The 90-minute gathering is set for 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Government Plaza, 205 Government St. Organizers say residents can use the gathering to confirm their registration status, check for recent polling place or precinct changes and map out how and when they will cast a ballot in the Nov. 3 general election.

Alabama’s deadline to register to vote in the general election is Monday, Oct. 19.

Event details

• What: No Kings: Get Out the Vote rally, hosted by Indivisible Mobile
• When: Saturday, Oct. 17, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Where: Front steps of Government Plaza, 205 Government St., downtown Mobile
• What to expect: Help checking voter registration and precinct changes, and information on voting options
• Organizers’ request: Participants are asked to leave all weapons away from the plaza

A national shift from protest to turnout

The Mobile event is one of more than 1,500 local gatherings planned across the country under the banner “No Kings: Vote Early,” according to the event’s organizers. Some national reports have put the total even higher.

The No Kings movement, a coalition of progressive groups that includes Indivisible, organized several large nationwide protest days during President Donald Trump’s second term, beginning on June 14, 2025. Organizers say millions of people have taken part in those demonstrations over the past year and a half.

Saturday’s actions mark a deliberate change in approach. Rather than marches and large demonstrations, organizers say the focus this time is on what they describe as nonpartisan voter participation and election protection: helping eligible voters confirm they are registered, understand the rules in their state and make a concrete plan to vote. National event formats range from rallies and block parties to cookouts and organized walks to early voting sites in states that offer them.

National No Kings leaders have said local communities understand their own needs best, and they have argued that early preparation helps voters regardless of the specific election laws where they live. The movement’s organizers have also said they are concerned about efforts that make voting harder or undermine public trust in elections. Supporters of stricter election rules, including many Republican officials, say measures such as photo ID requirements and limits on absentee ballot assistance protect the integrity of elections.

Organizers: ‘make a plan to get out the vote’

Indivisible Mobile says the goal of Saturday’s gathering is to remove confusion from the voting process.

“We are bringing Mobile together to make a plan to get out the vote and ensuring that every eligible voter understands their options for how to vote and has the opportunity to make their voice heard,” the group said.

The event’s theme, “no thrones, no crowns, no kings,” is meant to convey the idea that political power belongs to the people, but only if they use it, according to organizers. The broader movement argues that elected officials only borrow power from the public, and that Election Day is when voters decide who holds it next.

Although the No Kings movement grew out of protests critical of the Trump administration, organizers describe the voter outreach at Saturday’s events as nonpartisan, aimed at any eligible voter regardless of party.

Emphasis on nonviolence

The national No Kings guide for event hosts calls for a strict commitment to nonviolent action and lawful conduct. Local coordinators are asked to train volunteers as safety marshals who can help keep events peaceful and de-escalate any tension.

In line with those guidelines, Indivisible Mobile has asked everyone attending to leave all weapons, including those legally carried, away from Government Plaza. Organizers say they want the day to stay focused on neighbors helping neighbors take part in the election.

What ‘voting early’ means in Alabama

Unlike many states, Alabama does not offer no-excuse, in-person early voting. Most voters cast their ballots in person at their assigned polling place on Election Day. Voters who will be unable to vote at the polls for a reason allowed by state law, such as being out of the county on Election Day, having an illness or disability, working a shift of 10 hours or more that coincides with polling hours, being a student attending school outside the county, or serving in the military, can vote by absentee ballot instead.

Absentee voting for the Nov. 3 general election opened Sept. 9. Key deadlines include:

• Voter registration: Monday, Oct. 19.
• Mailed absentee ballot applications: Must be received by the county absentee election manager by Oct. 27.
• In-person absentee applications: Due by Oct. 29.
• Absentee ballots returned in person: Due by close of business Nov. 2.
• Absentee ballots returned by mail: Must be received by noon on Election Day, Nov. 3.

State election officials recommend mailing applications and completed ballots well ahead of those deadlines. Alabama requires voters to show an approved photo ID whether they vote at the polls or by absentee ballot, and free voter ID cards are available to registered voters who do not have an acceptable ID.

Voters can check their registration, find their polling place and download absentee ballot applications at AlabamaVotes.gov, the Alabama Secretary of State’s voter website, or by contacting the Mobile County Board of Registrars.

What’s on the ballot

Mobile County voters will see a long ballot on Nov. 3. Statewide races include governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state and a U.S. Senate seat. Locally, voters will choose a sheriff, decide state legislative races and vote on the renewal of Mobile County’s pay-as-you-go road and bridge program, among other contests. Mobile County residents also vote in the 1st Congressional District race. Read more about the pay-as-you-go program on the ballot.

Polls in Alabama are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Voters who are in line when polls close are allowed to vote.