NBA Supports Voting
— “Get in the game”
The NBA has dedicated its games, website, Internet feeds, media resources, arenas and facilities, teams, players, and jerseys, to get out the vote.
Are you looking for the NBA schedule for Tuesday, Nov. 8 and wondering why there are no games? The NBA will take Election Day off for the 2022 midterms in the United States to encourage fans to vote.
When the NBA announced its schedule months ago —on Aug. 16 — the league also said it would not schedule any games on Election Day to encourage civic engagement and voter participation.
“It’s unusual. We don’t usually change the schedule for an external event. Voting and Election Day are obviously unique and very important to our democracy. ~ James Cadogan, executive director of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition
“You don’t do impact work by referendum, you do it because you think it matters and because you think it represents the values of the organization” ~ James Cadogan
NBA teams were encouraged to plan to distribute information on their states’ voting process and voter registration deadlines, and they have executed that.
While this is the first time the NBA has taken Election Day off, it isn’t the first time the NBA has taken steps to get involved in voter turnout.
“The NBA is creating a culture of political participation, which extends not only to its athletes but to fans as well. Players, coaches, event staff and fans all deserve to have the time and space to make their voices heard at the ballot box. The league is setting an important precedent that I hope other businesses and leagues will follow” (Andrea Hailey, CEO of Vote.org, 2022)
The United States is facing one of the most crucial mid-term elections ever: For example, in April 2021, U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell lashed out at corporate America for speaking out against voter suppression tactics in Georgia. The republicans lashed out at these concerned statements about one of Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s typical plays to block minorities and the poor from voting:
Coca-Cola Co Chief Executive James Quincey called the law “unacceptable” and a “step backwards.” Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said: “The entire rationale for this bill was based on a lie: that there was widespread voter fraud in Georgia in the 2020 election.”
Mitch McConnell, the veteran Republican senator, infamously told American CEOs to ‘Stay out of politics,’ and explicitly warned corporations of “serious consequences” if they continued exercising free speech.
To paraphrase the Swedish pioneer philanthropist Daniel Sachs on the critically urgent issue of effective, responsive, and fair political ecosystems:
— In a democracy, there are no bystanders. If a dysfunctional situation or unjust political system needs reimagining, we as citizens have the responsibility to contribute to the sustainable change.
The NBA is not alone in leading by example. Stadiums in the NFL, NBA, MLS and other leagues will be used as polling places. Sporting associations have stepped up on taking their civic responsibility, and teamed up together to help US Democracy.
