Around 300 Grand Junction residents gathered Saturday for a "No Kings: Vote Early" rally, organized by Indivisible Grand Junction. The event, held at the Historic Lowell School just east of downtown, aimed to be a nonpartisan voter participation, education, and community connection event.
Attendees arrived at noon, finding tables set up with information about state ballot measures, offering both arguments for and against the various proposals. The rally included singing, drumming, and speeches from several community members, including Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Bobbie Gross. Gross addressed the crowd, urging citizens to cast their ballots early whenever possible. She also spoke about the integrity of local elections, noting that "elections are run by your friends, family, coworkers, neighbors" and that they "take an oath to run fair and accurate elections." Gross emphasized the importance of maintaining trust in the process, stating, "The worst thing we can do is lose confidence in our election process."
By 2:45 p.m., the crowd began a march from the Historic Lowell School. Participants walked to the Mesa County elections office, located on the west side of downtown, to deposit their ballots for the upcoming November election into the designated drop box outside the office.
Molly Heckman of Indivisible Grand Junction explained the shift in the event's approach compared to previous gatherings. "We wanted to do something a little different this time," Heckman said. She highlighted the importance of civic engagement, stating, "One of the most important things is participating in democracy. One of the simplest ways people can do that is by voting" – an explanation for the event's nonpartisan billing.
Despite the nonpartisan label, many attendees carried signs expressing their opinions about the current Trump administration. Rachel Cowan, a Grand Junction resident, was among them, carrying a sign about her brother who died 21 years ago while serving in the U.S. Army. Cowan expressed dissatisfaction with the Trump administration, stating, "I lost my job because of Trump," in the field of environmental remediation and restoration. Cowan noted her appreciation for the event's focus, adding, "I’ve been coming to these protests for a while. This one is amazing because it’s focusing on voting."
The "No Kings" protests across Colorado, including this Grand Junction event, are generally organized with the aim of helping to protect the November election, according to the rally's organizers.
