No Kings rally urges Utahns to vote early
by Tyrese Boone ksl · KSL.comKEY TAKEAWAYS
- The No Kings rally at the state Capitol urged early voting participation on Saturday.
- Organizers encouraged ballot drop-off at the rally to ensure timely submission.
SALT LAKE CITY — People gathered at the state Capitol Saturday for a No Kings demonstration, where organizers encouraged Utahns to make their voices heard through both protest and participation in the November election.
The rally brought together protesters who wanted to speak out against the government and organizers who urged attendees to take their concerns to the ballot box.
"It's important to stand up to our government that's corrupted and tell them, 'Hey, you can't do this,'" said J.R. Hernandez, a No Kings protester. "We have rights and we're going to exercise those rights no matter what for a better tomorrow."
For other attendees, one of the biggest concerns was that people might choose not to vote at all.
"It disheartens me when I hear people say they're just not going to vote because there's no one they want to vote for," said Joy Beightol, a No Kings protester.
Organizers encourage ballot drop-off
Along with the demonstration, organizers encouraged people to bring completed ballots to the Capitol and drop them off.
Sarah Buck, a No Kings Salt Lake co-leader, said organizers asked attendees to complete their ballots before arriving.
"So we asked people to fill out their ballots before they came and to just bring their ballots and we'll drop them in the ballot box," Buck said.
Buck also expressed concerns about relying on mail delivery, encouraging voters to use ballot drop boxes instead.
Local elections also matter
Carly Modesto, No Kings creative arts coordinator, said some voters may feel their participation does not make a difference. She encouraged people to recognize the impact they can have, particularly in local elections.
"When you think about voting a lot of people maybe feel indifferent. They might think my voice doesn't matter. We know from our primaries people can show up and make a difference especially for our local government and local elections," Modesto said.
Early voting in Utah begins Tuesday, Oct. 20. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
According to vote.utah.gov, ballots must be received by the county clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
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