SANDPOINT — Voting took center stage at Saturday's "No Kings" rally held in Sandpoint.

One table gave residents a chance to check their registration status while another walked them through the process. Candidates from all political parties were invited to host information booths and chat with voters.

"We really wanted to help get out the vote and remind people how important it is to vote in our local and national elections in this midterm," said Rachel Castor, one of the Sandpoint rally’s organizers.

With the general election just over two weeks away, organizers said they felt it was important not only to encourage residents to vote but also to encourage them to learn about the issues and candidates and create a plan for how they want to vote.

"We're here to get everyone out to vote," Castor said. "You should know all the candidates before you choose who you're voting for."

Organizers said they wanted to hold the rally to remind residents of voting's importance and how fortunate voters are to live in a democracy.

Saturday's event was part of the nationwide No Kings movement. Previous local rallies have drawn hundreds of participants concerned about issues ranging from voting rights and public lands to government policy and democratic participation, according to organizers.

"Vote while you still can, right," Castor said. "We're lucky that we get to participate in our government, and especially when we have someone in power who seems like he'd like to take that away so we want to make sure our voices are heard. The government's supposed to represent us, and this is our chance to tell them what we want and who we want in office."

And with several key issues on the ballot, the midterm elections could shape the direction of government on the local, state and federal levels, Castor said.

Idaho is fortunate to have laws that allow Election Day registration at the polls. Residents who want to vote but aren't registered or have changed addresses can bring their government ID, such as a driver's license and a piece of mail, and go to the polling location assigned to them. If residents aren't sure where to vote, they can go to VoteIdaho.gov, which will tell them the location as well as other important voting information, Castor said.

"You can register to vote online, you can request absentee ballots online," Castor said. "There's so much you can do. You can look up whether you're registered, what you're registered as. You can check all your information online."

Among those voting this year will be a teenager she knows who celebrated their 18th birthday on Saturday, Castor said. And, whether they are voting for the first time like the teen she knows or have voted in every election, she encouraged everyone to turn out and vote according to their conscience.

Strict guidelines are followed to ensure the rally is peaceful and nonviolent and that all voices are heard, including those who want to counterprotest or make their feelings known through gestures.

"It's not about 'othering' people," Castor said. "It's about allowing people their freedom of speech and their freedom to vote and their freedom to participate in government."

And that means, she added, acknowledging all viewpoints.

"We want to acknowledge everyone's points of view," Castor said. "And even if we don't agree, we're not here to cause them harm or to disallow their free speech."

Several hundred people, as well as several candidates, turned out for the event. Many of those who turned out lined First Avenue, both to encourage voting and to criticize the current policy and direction of both state and national politics.

The rally saw everyone from first-time teen voters to retirees, and from all parts of the political landscape.

But, bottom line, Castor said, the rally's goal was to raise awareness about the election and the importance of voting.

"Voting is our superpower and it's the way we participate," she said. "One vote is a small number, but all added together, it makes a whole lot."

    A man holds a banner about the importance of the U.S. Constitution at Saturday's "No Kings" rally in Sandpoint.