As No Kings protests kicked off across the country on Saturday, more than 1,000 people marched down Anacapa Street to encourage residents to vote early in the Nov. 3 election.

The Santa Barbara march was organized by Indivisible Santa Barbara. Past Indivisible rallies have protested the Trump Administration, the Iran War, raids by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and more.

While signs criticizing the Trump Administration and its policies were present at the march in Santa Barbara, organizers said the afternoon gathering was largely focused on encouraging residents to vote.

Similar actions occurred in Santa Maria, Orcutt, Guadalupe and Lompoc on Saturday.

Election officials have urged residents to submit their ballots early to make sure they are counted.

Organizers asked attendees to prepare their ballots before the rally so they could turn them in at the ballot box located in front of Santa Barbara City Hall.

The rally began in Alameda Park, where crowds gathered to hear speeches before the march.

Speakers included Myra Paige, a member of the Indivisible Santa Barbara steering committee, and former California State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson.

In her speech, Jackson accused President Donald Trump and Republicans of serving the “Elon Musks of the world.”

She also criticized health care funding cuts and the rising cost of living for the average American.

“(The Republican) party is in charge of everything and destroying everything that we have worked for, that our veterans fought and died for, that we teach our children is the great American promise,” Jackson told the crowd. “We need that promise back. We need it back now.”

Jackson urged the crowd to shut out misinformation and noise and focus on the issues that matter instead.

Ian Paige, also from Indivisible, read a speech prepared by Primitiva Hernandez, the executive director of 805Undocufund.

Paige said that Hernandez was responding to reports that ICE agents were in Santa Maria and could not attend the event.

After the speeches, a crowd led by the Brasscals marched to De La Guerra Plaza while singing and holding signs.

An estimated 2,500 people gathered at the plaza after the march. Many took the chance to turn in their mail-in ballots at the drop box in front of City Hall.

Holly Castle, a student at UC Santa Barbara, said this was her second time voting and her second time attending a No Kings rally. Castle is part of Students Demand Action and the UCSB Campus Democrats.

Castle said she likely would not have voted early if she did not hear about the rally, but the gathering motivated her to do so.

“I felt like I should because I’m harassing all my friends to vote,” Castle said. “So I should set the standard and go vote first.”