Every few months around the country, local communities gather for No Kings protests, which reject the idea that politicians and billionaires are above the law.
For the next nationwide No Kings protest on Oct. 17, Forest Park will host a rally at 7510 Roosevelt Rd. from 10 a.m. to noon. The focus of the event will be to publicize the start of early voting.
“Unlike previous No Kings actions, No Kings: Vote Early, is not purely a protest,” according to Indivisible — an organization working to stop authoritarianism in the United States. “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.”
Early voting has already started for the Nov. 3 election. Through this week, Cook County residents can vote in-person at one of six locations. The closest to Forest Park is the Maywood Courthouse at 1311 Maybrook Square, where locals can vote from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Starting Oct. 19 and through Nov. 2, early voting will be available at 56 suburban locations, including at the Maywood Public Library District, 121 S. 5th Ave.; Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison St.; the Cicero Community Center, 2250 49th Ave.; and the Berwyn Pavek Community Center, 6501 31st St. These early voting locations are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays.
The Cicero PSO Building, 5410 W. 34th St., is open as an early voting site from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Oct. 26 through 30, plus on Nov. 2.
According to Indivisible, the Oct. 17 No Kings protest brings “community together to turn people power into voter power. This rally is about making sure every eligible voter is informed, prepared, and ready to participate.”
The first No King protests in Forest Park took place in June 2025. There were also No Kings protests last October and earlier this year in March.