Protesters gathered in Palm Beach County as part of a nationwide No Kings day of action, with local organizers putting a focus on encouraging people to vote early ahead of the November midterm elections.
The rally was organized locally by Speaking Up for America - Indivisible. Group leader Susan Foley said Saturdays demonstration marked the organizations eighth rally in two years and its fourth No Kings rally.
Today is a special day, our fourth No Kings rally, Foley said. This one is special because of its mission to vote early.
WATCH: Palm Beach County No Kings rally urges early voting
No Kings RallyFoley said organizers are encouraging people to cast their ballots early rather than waiting until Election Day.
If you vote early, your vote is locked in, Foley said.
But for protesters who came out Saturday, the rally was also an opportunity to speak about issues they would like to see addressed both nationally and closer to home.
WPTV's Christy Waite listened to protesters like Ann Hunter. She says she wants to see more attention paid to the financial challenges facing families.
More consideration to the middle class and people that are in desperate circumstances struggling with their food, healthcare, everyday living expenses, Hunter said.
For Cynthia Heller, a former educator, education funding is among the issues that brought her out.
I was in education, so I would like to see more money go into education, Heller said.
Protesters said events like Saturdays also give members of the community an opportunity to come together around issues that are important to them.
One protester emphasized that regardless of political affiliation, participating in the election is what matters.
I am happy to see people here, and no matter how they vote, they have to vote, the protester said.
The Republican Party of Palm Beach County also responded to Saturdays demonstrations, pointing to Republican policies and the partys growing voter registration advantage in Florida.
In a statement, the county GOP credited Gov. Ron DeSantis policies with Floridas economic performance and highlighted Amendment 3, a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot dealing with property taxes.
The party also defended President Donald Trumps approach to judicial appointments and said Republican voter registration and turnout show support for the partys direction.
Florida has transitioned into a reliably red state, with the Republican Party of Florida maintaining an advantage of over 1.55 million registered voters over Democrats, the statement said.
State voter registration data as of Sept. 30 shows more than 5.67 million active registered Republicans compared with about 4.13 million Democrats, a difference of roughly 1.55 million voters.
Amendment 3 would reduce the annual cap on assessment increases for non-homestead properties from 10% to 5% and make other changes involving how counties and municipalities use property tax revenue.
Similar demonstrations have taken place across the region, from Palm Beach County to Vero Beach, as protesters continue to make their voices heard ahead of the November elections.
