Organizers of the nationwide No Kings movement haven’t abandoned their anti-Trump and “abolish ICE” messaging, but the primary purpose of rallies planned across the nation this weekend is to encourage people to vote early in the November 3 midterms.
Houston’s first No Kings protest was in June 2025, shortly after President Donald Trump began his second term. Peaceful gatherings followed in October 2025 and in March of this year. Participants frequently carry signs — some of which display colorful language — that express their distaste for the federal government, rising gas prices, immigration enforcement and the war in Iran.
Those matters can be addressed at the polls when early voting kicks off on October 19, said Traci Gibson, chair of the Harris County Democratic Party.
“It’s important to bring these nationwide issues local,” she said. “ It’s our job to say politics is local. Politics is the air you breathe. Politics is your water. It’s our power grid. We don’t want people to only vote during presidential elections. Elections aren’t just every four years. And we’re the largest county in Texas, so there’s no statewide win that doesn’t come through Harris County.”
The following No Kings rallies are planned on Saturday, October 17
The Woodlands, 9 to 11 a.m., Lake Woodlands Drive and Six Pines, sponsored by Greater Woodlands Indivisible
Brazoria County, 9 to 11 a.m., address available with RSVP, sponsored by Brazoria County Indivisible
Cypress, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Highway 290 and FM 1960, sponsored by Indivisible Cypress and Cypress-Tomball Democrats
Katy, noon to 1 p.m., I-10 frontage road at Westgreen, sponsored by Indivisible Katy
Missouri City, 2 to 5 p.m., Sienna Annex, sponsored by Indivisible Fort Bend County
Houston, 4 to 6 p.m., Houston City Hall, sponsored by HTX Coalition
More than 2,000 No Kings events are planned across all 50 states. According to the organization’s website, the gatherings are nonpartisan and designed to increase participation from all eligible voters.
“A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action and no civil disturbance,” the website states. “We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.”
Marsha Kamish, an organizer for the Katy event, is a fixture at the I-10 frontage road at Westgreen whenever there’s a protest. She said in an email to the Houston Press that she’s joining Saturday’s event because “our voting rights and freedom to cast a ballot without intimidation are under attack.”
Texas Democrats are still frustrated with last year’s GOP-led mid-decade redistricting effort — often referred to by critics as racial gerrymandering — that prompted House Democrats to leave the state in a two-week quorum break last August. They eventually returned and the measure passed, leaving many Texans who said they were drawn into new boundaries where their representative was not someone they would have voted for.
Three No Kings protests have been held at Houston City Hall since June 2025. Credit: April Towery
In addition to redistricting, Texas and other states had to hand over full unredacted voter data to Trump’s Department of Justice, and the President attempted to implement nationwide restrictions on voting by mail.
“These actions are designed to confuse, intimidate and discourage voter participation, interfere and disrupt state elections, and delay election certification processes,” Kamish said. “But the U.S. Constitution is clear: no president or federal agency has the authority to take over state elections or unilaterally rewrite our election laws. America’s democracy belongs to the people, not politicians seeking to manipulate the process. Voting is our most powerful tool for protecting our democracy.”
Harris County Voter Registrar Annette Ramirez told the Press last week that despite receiving thousands of new voter applications from the Department of Public Safety two weeks before the registration deadline, she’s confident that the voter rolls are accurate.
Harris County voters can check their registration online or through a new Harris Votes smartphone application, and if they appear on the “voter suspense list,” they can still vote in the November 3 election; they just have to fill out a Statement of Residence form.
At a No Kings event in March, participants signed a replica of the United States Constitution. Credit: April Towery
Both Gibson and County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth addressed concerns they’ve heard from voters that ICE agents could be stationed at the polls to intimidate people.
“We have a lot of attorneys who are working with us and training with us,” said Gibson, a former prosecutor with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. “We’re ready to file lawsuits if needed. We’re preparing for everything imaginable.”
Hudspeth said she meets weekly with a task force that includes representatives from the county attorney’s office and the DA’s office.
“Please know we are working to prepare,” she said. “As chief election official, everything within 100 feet of [a polling location] is under my control. It is illegal for ICE to be inside polling locations. With this task force we have law enforcement ready to step up. I am not camera shy and we will share all the information that people need to know.”
Hudspeth also encouraged voters to research the local races before they go to the polls and vote the entire ballot. Harris County’s ballot is one of the longest in the country, with more than 100 races.
Early voting runs from October 19 through October 30, and Election Day is November 3. Voters are encouraged to download the Harris Votes smartphone app to find their sample ballot and a nearby polling place — anyone registered in Harris County can vote at any location during early voting and on Election Day — and check to see how long the lines are in real time.
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