A view of the Authoritarian House of Horrors through the Vote banner at No Kings 4 in Boston. Photo from a Mass 50501 volunteer.
On October 17th, people across the country came together to defend democracy by encouraging voter education and participation. The fourth No Kings Day marked a shift in strategy and priorities, both in Massachusetts and nationwide. But that shift didn’t mean abandoning the spirit of the original No Kings events. Instead, we aimed to transition that power to each individual person as we once again affirmed that America has no kings!
Previous No Kings days boasted record-breaking turnout, which was an important part of building movement visibility and momentum, as well as a cathartic experience for many people. This time, organizers like us were focused on a more immediately impactful record-breaking metric: early voting turnout. Early analysis has shown “a 51% correlative surge in early voting in ZIP codes with No Kings events on October 17—outperforming statewide trends by 19 percentage points, led by a massive 90% increase among voters of color.” Have you voted yet? If not, find your polling place and get going now! The early voting period in Massachusetts runs through October 30th.
The “Empower the People to Vote Early” art projection displayed the evening before No Kings 4 in Boston. Photo from a Mass 50501 volunteer.
Mass 50501 hosted and supported distributed events throughout Boston, beginning with an inspirational, interactive art projection on October 16th commemorating moments in voting rights history. (Many thanks to the projection team SilenceDogood for their amazing collaboration!)
The next day, Mass 50501 returned to the Boston Common, but swapped out the massive stage and sound system for a soap box stage, a small audio system and mic, and a second interactive art exhibit aimed at voter education, engagement, and preparation. Costumed volunteers shared historic speeches from our country’s past. Figures such as Lucy Stone, Clara Barton, and Margaret Chase Smith, and Thomas Paine were represented. These speakers and speeches were carefully chosen by each volunteer because of their impact on our voting history and their ongoing relevance to the struggle Americans face today. Lucy Stone’s and Clara Barton’s historic speeches were actually delivered in Boston! Their Boston connection reminds us of Massachusetts’ history of being on the forefront of activism in the U.S. We have a legacy to uphold, and October 17th’s No Kings: Vote Early event did just that.
The front door of Mass 50501’s Authoritarian House of Horrors at No Kings 4 in Boston. Photo from a Mass 50501 volunteer.
Participants could walk through An Authoritarian House of Horrors, a handmade visual art installation depicting the federal administration's horrors and our present (and future) if people don’t get out and vote. The Authoritarian House of Horrors was made up of six rooms, each built to portray tactics from the authoritarian playbook: Quashing dissent/weaponizing of political institutions, spreading misinformation, regulatory retaliation, domestic military deployments, targeting vulnerable communities, and “The Autocrat Won’t Leave”/corrupting elections. The artist who conceived the exhibit wanted to expose viewers to the bone-chilling reality of our situation and have them walk away taking election protection seriously (if they weren't already).
The kitchen in Mass 50501’s Authoritarian House of Horrors at No Kings 4 in Boston. Photo from a Mass 50501 volunteer.
In the first room, dynamic screens displayed looping gifs of people who have been wrongfully targeted for investigation by the Trump administration, showing the far-reaching impact of the administration's attempts to quash dissent. The bedroom focused on colleges that were punished for DEI programs. The kitchen highlighted the hellscape being left for us by RFK Jr.’s regulatory rollbacks and attempts to sow disinformation. In the garage, participants were confronted with a map of the Trump administration's deployments of the military to U.S. cities to suppress political dissent and assist with civil—not criminal—law enforcement. The dining room was perhaps the most haunting, depicting a family dinner interrupted by an immigration raid, immigration papers on the floor and a fire still crackling in the fireplace. The living room showed reminders of Trump’s statements indicating that he won’t easily vacate the White House on January 6th, 2029. The front door’s letter slot was covered by chains, representing the Trump administration’s many attempts to corrupt our electoral process, such as by attacking mail-in voting.
Chained textbooks, along with the ever-present threat of Flock surveillance, in the bedroom of Mass 50501’s Authoritarian House of Horrors at No Kings 4 in Boston. Photo from a Mass 50501 volunteer.
After walking through the exhibit, participants were met by volunteers who provided them with information about early voting and volunteer opportunities. Elsewhere, in coalition with True North Action Alliance and Boston Indivisible, Mass 50501 supported nine distributed events in the Boston/Cambridge area. Check out our No Kings Boston resources here.
Buttons encouraging early voting distributed at No Kings 4 in Boston. Photo from a Mass 50501 volunteer.
Nationwide, over 3,000 events took place. Some cities hosted modest rallies. Local organizations set up tables at grocery stores and hardware stores to provide nonpartisan voter information. Groups focused on ways to get out the vote, such as writing postcards to voters, holding signs, or participating in bridge brigades. Most importantly, many people voted and each event encouraged others to vote.
An activist at No Kings 4 in Boston encouraging us all to vote out corrupt politicians. Photo from a Mass 50501 volunteer.
While election integrity has been on the forefront of everyone’s minds lately, the events of October 17th were a natural progression of Mass 50501’s months-long efforts. This summer, we participated in Good Trouble’s national weekend of action. Around the same time, volunteers attended various city and town Porchfests to share voting trivia, encourage people to sign up as poll observers, and promote voter registration. Our newsletter team solicited candidate interviews and published several articles focused on the elections. And our Discord has been popping with discussion about candidates and ballot questions.
Part of the living room of Mass 50501’s Authoritarian House of Horrors at No Kings 4 in Boston. Photo from a Mass 50501 volunteer.
No Kings 4 reminded us that achieving our goal of a more perfect union requires sustained action beyond a single day of protest. Find your lane and dive in. Participation doesn’t have to be perfect. While some members of the movement are seasoned activists, many of us have never lived through a period of significant democratic backsliding and have never been engaged in this work before.
Part of Mass 50501’s Authoritarian House of Horrors at No Kings 4 in Boston. Photo from a Mass 50501 volunteer.
If you, like many, missed the social aspect of a big rally, we encourage you to join a volunteer group (it doesn’t have to be ours—though we’d love to have you!) and/or get engaged in your local government or mutual aid. To quote ourselves: Democracy means talking to each other, and it’s how we sustain our resistance too.
If you haven’t voted yet, make your voting plan now!
If you have already voted, stay vigilant.
Review the commitment you made on No Kings 3, and enter your pledge to support election integrity.
Thank you for joining us.
In solidarity,
Mass 50501
Activists at No Kings 4 encouraging you (yes you, dear reader) to get out there, do your part, and vote for a better future for our nation. Photo from a Mass 50501 volunteer.
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