No Kings rallied nationwide to get out the early vote. Meta locked its Instagram mid-rally.

No Kings supporters rallied across the country Saturday, Oct. 17, this time with a single ask: vote early. Organizers said nearly 3,000 "No Kings: Vote Early" events were scheduled in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms, Newsweek reported. Organizers gave no nationwide crowd estimate.

At the Lincoln Memorial, a band played for what appeared to be a few hundred people holding signs reading "VOTE EARLY" and "HANDS OFF MY VOTE!" the Associated Press reported. In Atlanta, City Councilman Michael Julian Bond told the crowd: "The Constitution gives you one power, right? That is the power to vote. Are you gonna use that power?" The AP reported no incidents.

Meta locked No Kings out of Instagram mid-rally

In the middle of the day of action, Meta froze No Kings' main Instagram account. A No Kings spokesperson told MS NOW the account went down around 1:30 p.m. Eastern, according to Mediaite. It was offline for about 90 minutes, and organizers said they couldn't get into the back end or post for roughly four more hours after it reappeared, Newsweek reported.

"We cannot post or communicate with our network," a No Kings representative said, calling the suspension "unjustified." Organizer Ezra Levin said it came at "the height of the mobilization."

Meta blamed its own software. "When accounts post, share or comment at very high frequencies it can trigger automated systems," spokesperson Andy Stone wrote on X. "Unfortunately, that automated action was clearly taken in error." He said everything was working again and added, "we sincerely apologize."

Why it matters

An automated error that silences a voter-turnout campaign for hours, on its biggest day, two weeks before an election, is a big deal even if nobody meant it. Millions of people rely on these platforms to learn where and how to vote.

The rallies came the same week the Trump administration sued California election officials to stop the counting of mail-in ballots from people it flagged as "likely" noncitizens, and the Justice Department warned local officials they could face prosecution for processing those ballots, the AP reported.

Election Day is Nov. 3. Check your state's early-voting dates and polling places with your county elections office.

Sources

• Associated Press via PBS NewsHour: "No Kings rallies across U.S. urge voters to cast ballots early ahead of midterms" (Oct. 17, 2026)
• Associated Press via NBC Washington: "No Kings protests held across the U.S. ahead of midterm elections" (Oct. 17, 2026)
• Newsweek: "'No Kings' Says Meta Cut Off Access to Instagram Account on Key Protest Day" (Oct. 17, 2026)
• Mediaite: "No Kings Instagram Page Yanked In Midst of Anti-Trump Protests" (Oct. 17, 2026)