With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
To Encourage Fans To Vote, The NBA Won’t Hold Games On Election Day
The NBA won't hold any games on Nov. 8 to encourage fans to vote.
(
Jeenah Moon
/
Getty Images
)
The NBA won't hold any games on November 8 — Election Day for the 2022 midterms — in an effort to encourage fans to vote.
"The scheduling decision came out of the NBA family's focus on promoting nonpartisan civic engagement and encouraging fans to make a plan to vote during midterm elections," the league said in a tweet.
The NBA says over the next few months, teams will provide information on their state's voting process and voter registration deadlines to help fans make a plan to vote.
The announcement was first reported by NBC News.
Sponsored message
Additionally, the Monday before Election Day, the league's 30 teams will play in games to promote civic engagement and to also encourage fans and staff to vote.
"It's unusual. We don't usually change the schedule for an external event," James Cadogan, executive director of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition, told NBC. "Voting and Election Day are obviously unique and very important to our democracy."
This isn't the first time the NBA has taken steps to get involved in voter turnout.
In 2020, the league announced it was converting a number of arenas into polling locations for the presidential election. The decision was part of an agreement to resume games after players staged a walkout in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
NBA star LeBron James also launched an initiative the same year to protect voting rights.
Sponsored message
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit npr.org.
At LAist, we focus on what matters to our community: clear, fair, and transparent reporting that helps you make decisions with confidence and keeps powerful institutions accountable.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
