Thirteen NFL teams, six MLB teams and 19 NBA teams will offer their campuses as polling places.
Few things in the United States move the population more than sports, which is why a strategy has been put in place where teams belonging to the leagues of different disciplines in the country incite the vote that will define whether Donald Trump is reelected in November or Joe Biden takes the presidency of the United States.
Of the 30 franchises that make up the NBA, 19 will adopt in this election period the voting center in their facilities, and it is not surprising that this makes the "blast sport" in the most involved, because, in a movement led by the superstar of the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James, the league has consistently protested against racism and police abuse experienced by Latino and African American communities in the U.S. country.
So much so that, after the season was paused due to the outbreak of Covid-19 in the Utah Jazz, the Association, led by commissioner Adam Silver, decided that when the season returned to the court, the campaign would take on a special name: Black Lives Matter.
In addition, to give a blow on the table and warn that the campaign against racism and brutality was serious, last August 26th the Milwaukee 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 postseason, 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 the league to find a way to raise their audience levels. They have become a political organization and that is not good for the sport or for the country," said the president.
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 the slogan was changed to ?More Than A Vote? and staying active in social networks, calling to change the course of the country.
And it is not an unimportant issue. In 2016, when the Republican president competed against Hillary Clinton, only 59.6% of those eligible to vote exercised it, while in 2012 66.6% did so.
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 in practically the whole country who have applied. The mission is not only to offer large precincts, but to help thousands or millions of voters find an accessible place to exercise their right to vote with guaranteed security," he said.
The precincts that will remain active for voting in California are:
MLB: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Dodgers.
NFL: Levi's Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers and SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Chargers and Rams.
NBA: The Golden State Warriors' Chase Center, the Los Angeles Clippers' and Lakers' Staples Center and the Sacramento Kings' Golden 1 Center.
NHL: Los Angeles Kings Staples Center.
WNBA: Los Angeles Sparks Staples Center.
