More than 298,000 other people voted in professional stadiums and sports arenas in the 2020 general election, according to voter turnout knowledge compiled through USA TODAY, underlining how vital those places were in a presidential election held through slender margins like knives in some undecided states.
A total of 40 arenas and stadiums in 29 other counties across the country were used as polling places in 2020.
This total of 298,000 doesn’t even come with New York (which had internal polling stations at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan and the Barclays Center in Brooklyn) because New York election officials did not provide data.
In the city of Atlanta, nearly 40,000 Fulton County citizens voted in the Hawks arena in an early vote in Georgia (a state Joe Biden won with fewer than 15,000 votes).
The chairman of the U. S. Electoral Assistance Commission is a U. S. Election Assistance Commission. The U. S. , Benjamin Hovland, told USA TODAY that the availability of sports facilities “resolves primaries for election officials” and “made an absolute difference” to help elections run smoothly amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Last August, following the shooting of Jacob Blake through police in Wisconsin, NBA players refused to play multiple playoff games. After superstars LeBron James and Chris Paul sought the recommendation of former President Barack Obama, the league’s players demanded tangible action to tackle systemic racism in the United States in order to get back on the court and finish the playoffs. NBA homeowners have finally agreed to work with local election officials to convert team amenities into polling places for the 2020 general election. In addition, the league said it will work with players. and its netpaintings partners to create and present in-game playoff advertisements “dedicated to selling greater civic engagement in national and local elections and raising awareness of voter access and opportunities. ” According to the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, twice as many people voted at the United Center (home to the Chicago Bulls) than anywhere else or universal constituency. More than 30,000 other people voted at the American Airlines Center in Dallas (the Mavericks’ home stadium) and the Smoothie King Arena in New Orleans (home to the Pelicans), according to USA Today.
The More Than a Vote coalition, a voting rights organization led through LeBron James, helped recruit 40,000 elections and sign with a criminal record at the Florida electorate.
“Professional sports facilities and their respective franchises played a role in general election,” Dean Logan, secretary of Los Angeles County, wrote, “not only serving as a polling station, but also as a network spouse in civic engagement and emancipation. “
77,976,683. C is the number of votes that have been counted for Joe Biden so far, the number of votes for a presidential candidate in U. S. history.
How sports stadiums scored in the 2020 elections, welcoming thousands of electorates (USA TODAY)
The NBA and the 2020 election are the arenas that will serve as polling stations (Forbes)
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I’m a Reporter for Forbes in New York and I cover sports, politics and business. Do not hesitate to contact me by email (tsbeer7 gmail. com) or Twitter.
I’m a Reporter for Forbes in New York and I cover sports, politics and business. Please take me by email (tsbeer7 gmail. com) or Twitter (@TommyBeer).