Noah Perez-Johnson | For The Post
On Saturday, a ”No Kings” rally was held outside the Athens Community Center, and was specifically focused on promoting early voting among citizens.
The event focused on defending voting rights before election day and purposefully making voices heard through voting. The hosts made it clear they want to educate the public on their voting options, encouraging attendees to develop a plan for voting.
The “No Kings: Vote Early” events are being held all across the country with the same goals as the Athens event.
The “No Kings” movement was formed to protest the policies of the current Trump administration through rallies only on specific tensions or political events.
Andrea Reik, a lead organizer for the event, said the “No Kings” organization is peaceful, nonviolent and nonpartisan. Their goal was not to promote candidates, but to encourage early voting. She said educating people is critical because not everyone knows how to vote.
“I never was a teacher, but in a lot of school districts, they don't have civics class,” Reik said. “So, for many people growing up, they don't understand the importance of voting. They don't know how to do it. We've registered voters, and they're like, ‘I don't know where to vote.’”
Absentee and mail-in voting began Oct. 6 and will continue until Nov. 2, the day before the general election. Absentee ballots must be received by the local board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 3.
The “No Kings: Vote Early” event was not described as a protest, but as a way to bring the community together ensuring people know their options for how to vote and have a plan to vote in the upcoming midterm elections.
The event drew supporters from the Ohio University campus and the local community alike.
Seth Langenkamp, a fifth-year student studying theater, said he attended the protest because it is a way to express complaints with the structure of the U.S. and because silence causes more harm than good.
“I think it creates more of an energy,” Langenkamp said. “It creates more of a awareness to other people, especially when people are honking their horns. And you know, like in good faith in terms of like ‘We're aware and we support what you're doing.’”
The No Kings organization provides training for hosts, educating them on how to run a lawful, peaceful protest.
John Few, a volunteer for Indivisible, said he thinks peacefully protesting is important and “the way to go.”
“Peaceful protests are the way to go,” Few said. “Just keep up the pressure and civil disobedience, and we’ve been doing that since the days of Martin Luther King. With the sit-ins and the boycotts.”
Athens community members hold homemade signs during the No Kings Protest outside the Athens Community Center on East State Street, Athens, Oct. 17, 2026.
Siena Bright, the founder of the Meigs County Young Democrats, said it is important to educate people on what authoritarianism is and how to recognize the signs.
“I think that anyone that doesn’t agree with No Kings is not really paying attention and doesn’t really understand the nuances of the things that are happening in our government,” Bright said.
The No Kings protest had people lined up on East State Street, holding signs and chanting about the importance of voting rights. Many people in Athens have shown heart for the movement and the causes it supports.
“We’re not going to give up on America, like this is our home,” Bright said. “This is where we live, and we want to fight for it. And we will continue to fight for it, no matter what, no matter what we face. There will still be people here, like saying what they wish to say and what they want to be done in our government. And I think that’s important.”
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