No Kings Rally in Santa Barbara Pays a Visit to a Ballot Box

An estimated 2,000 to 3,000 people filled downtown Santa Barbara streets on Saturday, October 17, for the latest in a series of "No Kings" rallies — this one aimed squarely at the ballot box. Organized by Indivisible Santa Barbara under the banner "No Kings: Vote Early," the event urged residents to cast their votes ahead of the November 3 midterm election, which will determine the composition of the U.S. House and Senate.

The Santa Barbara Independent, which first reported the rally, noted that the march paused at the ballot drop box outside City Hall before continuing to De la Guerra Plaza, where speakers addressed the crowd.

A March With a Destination

The event began at noon at Alameda Park, where marchers assembled before following the Brasscals — a Santa Barbara street brass band — down Anacapa Street toward De la Guerra Plaza. The route itself carried a message: rather than ending with speeches alone, the march made a deliberate stop at the City Hall ballot drop box, turning participation into direct civic action.

Among those who took that step literally was Holly Castle, an 18-year-old UC Santa Barbara student and Campus Democrats member who volunteers with Indivisible Isla Vista. Castle brought her ballot with her to deposit during the event, the Independent reported, and left Alameda Park before the speeches concluded to hand out flyers as marchers reached the plaza.

"It's nice to have people working together," Castle told the Independent. "There aren't a lot of opportunities for us to get outside and do something together."

Speakers Link National Concerns to Local Action

Speakers at De la Guerra Plaza included Ian Paige, his wife Myra Paige, and former State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson. Myra Paige urged attendees not to take voting rights for granted, while Jackson encouraged the crowd to channel national political concerns into the upcoming election.

Ian Paige also read prepared remarks on behalf of Primitiva Hernandez, executive director of the 805UndocuFund, who was delayed in Santa Maria responding to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in her community. Paige became emotional as he read her statement. "I have to admit, I got choked up because of the injustice of what is happening," he said afterward.

The remarks came against a backdrop of intensified immigration enforcement across the region. According to previous Independent reporting cited at the rally, the 805UndocuFund Rapid Response Network had recorded nearly 100 immigration arrests across Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties in the span between October 5 and October 9 alone — including at least 63 in Santa Barbara County.

A Crowd That Was Smaller — and Older

Not everyone in the crowd was entirely satisfied with the turnout. Attendee Sara Carlson, who said she had participated in earlier No Kings events, described Saturday's crowd as smaller and older than at previous rallies, and questioned why more students from UCSB and Santa Barbara City College were not present. She had not yet submitted her own ballot, she said, though she usually votes early. Her concerns included immigration enforcement, the war in Iran, transgender rights, and women's rights.

"Just showing up and being a body in the crowd is important," Carlson told the Independent. "There's a long history of people creating change that way."

The No Kings movement has drawn large demonstrations nationally and locally since first emerging in 2025 in opposition to what organizers characterize as authoritarian overreach by the Trump administration. Saturday's Santa Barbara event was part of a coordinated push timed to early voting periods ahead of the midterms, with the emphasis shifted from protest to electoral participation.

What Comes Next

Paige, who offered the crowd-size estimate, described attendees as responsive and appreciative, gathered to hear music, spend time with community members, and learn how to vote safely and effectively. No final count of ballots deposited during the march was immediately available.

Beyond the rally itself, Paige said Indivisible Santa Barbara is focused on the integrity of the election process — working to ensure vote counting is fair, certification happens on time, and local election officials have the resources they need.

For Santa Barbara residents, the practical takeaway from Saturday's event is straightforward: ballots for the November 3 midterm are already in voters' hands, and drop boxes — including the one outside City Hall that served as a symbolic centerpiece of the march — are open. Voters can return ballots by mail or at official drop-off locations, and early in-person voting options are available through Election Day.

The midterm election on November 3 will decide control of the U.S. House and Senate, along with state and local races. With just over two weeks between Saturday's rally and Election Day, organizers made clear that the marching season is giving way to the voting season — and that, in their view, the most meaningful stop on any protest route is the ballot box.