The No Kings: Vote Early event, hosted by Indivisible San Luis Obispo County, educated and engaged with voters on Oct. 17.
The event was split into two parts: an educational presentation titled “What’s on the Ballot” from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and a sidewalk rally from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Indivisible San Luis Obispo County hosted Ed Cabrera from the League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan organization that focused on advocating for and educating voters, to give the presentation on select propositions.
Indivisible San Luis Obispo County is a branch of the national Indivisible movement with the primary goal to hold elected officials accountable and encourage civic action.
Indivisible San Luis Obispo County Organizer Taylor Young said the event was put on as a way to bring people together and make their voices heard. They wanted to educate and engage voters in No Kings’ “Get out the Vote” movement.
The event was the first time Indivisible San Luis Obispo County has organized a sidewalk rally and was the second biggest event they have hosted, according to Young.
“We hope that people will be engaged and reach out to the people in their networks and encourage them to vote,” Young said. “Your vote is the thing that secures every other right that you have.”
After the presentation, audience members went outside to the sidewalk of Broad Street and South Street with signs for the sidewalk rally portion of the event. Attendees were told that they should remain on the sidewalks at all times.
For many attendees, the gathering offered a chance to voice concerns about the current administration and encourage others to participate in the political process.
Angie King, a San Luis Obispo resident of 30 years and a retired public interest lawyer, said staying politically engaged can be difficult when change feels slow.
“Sometimes it seems so useless, but you got to get up and do it again,” King said.
Loretta Grondahl, a Cal Poly alumni who worked as a lab technician, said she was concerned about the country’s direction and how others are treated.
“This is not our country anymore,” Grondahl said. “Our government is supposed to be working for our people, but they’re not.”
Sande Rutstein, who has spent 21 years working at a pediatric clinic for children with special needs, also emphasized the importance of continued civic engagement even when sustained political involvement can be exhausting.
“Get out and be proactive,” Rutstein said. “Fight for democracy because we’re about to lose it.”
For Shaka Franklin, who moved to San Luis Obispo in July, the rally marked her first protest. She said participating in the event reflected a personal responsibility to her new community and hoped attendees would recognize the importance of their votes.
“Seeing different age ranges is really inspiring,” Franklin said. “We have young people and people who have been seasoned by life.”
Younger attendees also emphasized the importance of community involvement.
Alex Thein, a business administration senior, said she was at the event because she feels it is important to do any little thing that she can.
“You got to stay aware and involved,” Thein said.
Heidi Sanchez, a Cuesta College political science sophomore, said she wanted to encourage voter participation in San Luis Obispo County, which she described as politically active.
“Seeing many people show up, even if this was a much smaller movement compared to last year’s No Kings rally, still seeing people come up and put efforts into their signs, it really shows there is community here,” Sanchez said.