Early voting is already underway in Illinois, and additional locations are scheduled to open Monday. The rallies were part of demonstrations held around the country.

In Evanston, attendee Ashley Leverentz said she was worried about the stakes for transgender children, health care and educators. “The world is scary,” she said.

Candace Davis, a co-leader of Indivisible Evanston, said organizers are focusing on voting after urging people to participate in the presidential election. She said she hopes the effort produces a historic turnout.

Cora Rambert, 71, told organizers she had voted early the previous week. At the Edgewater gathering, she said she wanted to see change and cited rising prices, gasoline costs and older people sleeping on the street as concerns.

Davis said outcomes in Wisconsin, Michigan and Iowa could affect the balance of power in Congress. President Donald Trump was campaigning for Republican candidates in Kentucky on Saturday.

A White House spokesperson criticized the protest movement, arguing that its emphasis on voting undercut its “No Kings” name. The spokesperson framed the midterms as a choice between Trump and Republican policies and what the administration characterized as Democratic policies.

With voting already open in Illinois, the rallies put the focus on a practical next step for residents: casting a ballot before Election Day.