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LeBron James' 'More Than a Vote' Pushing NBA Arenas as 'Mega' Polling Sites
July 1, 2020
More Than a Vote, a nonprofit founded by Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, is advocating for NBA areas and other large sports venues to be turned into mega polling sites ahead of the November general election, according to the Associated Press' Bill Barrow.
Jonathan Martin of the New York Times reported the group will "partly be aimed at inspiring African-Americans to register and to cast a ballot in November." Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young, Phoenix Mercury star Skylar Diggins-Smith and former NBA star Jalen Rose are among those also involved with the organization.
"Yes, we want you to go out and vote, but we're also going to give you the tutorial," James said of the effort. "We're going to give you the background of how to vote and what they're trying to do, the other side, to stop you from voting."
The Atlanta Hawks announced on Monday they will convert State Farm Arena into a polling location when early voting begins July 20 for the Aug. 11 primary runoff election. It will also be used for the November general election.
Atlanta Hawks @ATLHawksStarting on July 20, State Farm Arena will become Georgia's largest-ever voting precinct. We are proud to partner with Fulton County to give all registered Fulton County residents the ability to vote early at our home. Read more: https://t.co/03QIocUqtf https://t.co/9zApOToQUH
On Wednesday, the Detroit Pistons announced a similar step with their training facility.
Beyond allowing for potentially more people to vote at a time, transitioning to larger polling stations will allow for voters to maintain social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"One of our greatest challenges in protecting voters' access to democracy this November is identifying accessible locations where citizens can safely vote in person," said Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, per Barrow.