Thirteen NFL, six MLB and 19 NBA teams will offer their precincts as polling places.
Few things in the United States move people more than sports, which is why a strategy has been put in place where teams from the country's various leagues are calling for a vote that will determine whether Donald Trump is re-elected in November or Joe Biden becomes president of the United States.
Of the 30 franchises that make up the NBA, 19 will adopt the voting center at their facilities during this election period, and it is not surprising that this makes the 'sport blast' the most involved, since, in a movement led by the Los Angeles Lakers superstar, LeBron James, the league has consistently protested racism and police abuse experienced by Latino and African American communities in the U.S.
So much so that, after pausing the season because of the Covid-19 outbreak at the Utah Jazz, the Association, headed by commissioner Adam Silver, decided that when the activity returned to the staves, the campaign would take on a special name: Black Lives Matter.
In addition, to strike a blow on the table and warn that the campaign against racism and brutality was serious, last August 26 the Miwaukee Bucks decided not to play the fifth game of the series against the Orlando Magic, a move that was joined by all the franchises that were in the postseason, even threatening not to resume and cancel the season.
In this regard, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, said he did not know the causes of the protests in the NBA, in addition to recommending that the league find a way to increase its audience levels. "They have become a political organization and that is not good for the sport or for the country," the president said.
LeBron James' power and identity as a symbol of the African American community led him to link his campaign "More Than A Game” with the election period, where he changed the slogan to "More Than A Vote" and staying active in social networks, calling for a change in the country's direction.
This is not a minor issue. In 2016, when the Republican leader competed against Hillary Clinton, only 59.6% of those eligible to vote exercised it, while in 2012 it was 66.6%.
The use of the precincts as polling stations will have to do with sanitary conditions, but, according to Eugene Jareki, head of the project Elections Super Centers Project, there are many teams practically all over the country who have applied. "The mission is not only to provide large precincts, but to help thousands or millions of voters count on an accessible place to exercise their right to vote with security guarantees," he said.
The precincts that will maintain activity for the votes in California are:
MLBDodger Stadium, Los Angeles Dodgers.
NFL: Levi's Stadium for the San Francisco 49ers and SoFi Stadium for the Los Angeles Chargers and Rams.
NBA: The Chase Center of the Golden State Warriors, the Staples Center of the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers and the Golden 1 Center of the Sacramento Kings.
NHL: Staples Center, Los Angeles Kings.
WNBA: Staples Center of Los Angeles Sparks.
