"No Kings" movement turns to early voting with more than 3,000 events planned across the U.S.

The "No Kings" movement, which opposes President Donald Trump, planned more than 3,000 events across the United States on Saturday, Oct. 17, this time aimed at getting people to vote early in the Nov. 3 midterm elections, AFP reported.

It is the movement's fourth national day of action since Trump returned to office, AFP reported, and organizers describe it as "not purely a protest" but a get-out-the-vote effort.

"It's a day of nonpartisan voter participation: we are bringing our community together to make a plan to vote early and ensuring every eligible voter understands their options for how to vote and has the opportunity to make their voice heard," organizers said in a statement quoted by AFP. The same language appears on event listings posted by Indivisible, a partner group.

What's planned

Events vary by location, AFP reported. They include a music festival in Los Angeles, a march to the Supreme Court in Washington, family workshops in Chicago and election-observer training in Atlanta. The American Civil Liberties Union and Common Cause are among the partner organizations.

"No Kings: Early Vote will be thousands of joyful celebrations of our right to vote across the country," said Deirdre Schifeling, the ACLU's chief political and advocacy officer, according to AFP.

Event listings say weapons of any kind, including legally permitted ones, should not be brought to events.

In eastern North Carolina

Rallies were held in New Bern and Greenville despite rain, WITN reported. The New Bern event drew up to 200 people. Early voting in North Carolina began Thursday, Oct. 15, and runs through Oct. 31, WFDD reported.

Why it matters

Organizers say high early turnout is their answer to concerns that the administration could challenge results. "The best way to prevent any funny business from this administration after election day is to make sure that our turnout is massive, so clear and so overwhelming that our victory for democracy is impossible to question," said Alma Couverthie of Common Cause, according to AFP.

Trump has openly criticized mail-in voting, AFP noted. The events come as polls show Republicans could lose ground in the midterms, AFP reported.

Estimates of the number of events have varied, from more than 2,000 in some social media posts to more than 3,000 reported by AFP. As of about 1:25 p.m. ET Saturday, no national attendance figures had been released.