Thousands rally in Washington over voting rights before midterms
Why it matters: The protest follows a Supreme Court ruling that opened the door to new Southern redistricting fights.
Thousands of demonstrators were expected on the National Mall on Friday for the 2026 March on Washington, a voting-rights rally framed by organizers as a response to rollbacks in civil rights protections before November's midterm elections. The event, billed as “Defend the Vote,” was organized by Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King’s Drum Major Institute, with support from groups including the NAACP and National Urban League. Speakers were set to include Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Yvette Clarke and Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger. Organizers tied the march to the Supreme Court’s April decision in Louisiana v. Callais and to redistricting moves in Republican-led Southern states that critics say dilute Black representation.