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US Sports Teams Offer Stadiums for Polling

US Sports Teams Offer Stadiums for Polling

Credit: Harry How/Getty Images

It doesn’t get more socially distant than an entire football stadium.

To say this year’s presidential election is going to be one for the history books is an absolute understatement. My own political leanings aside, there’s fierce furor on both ends of the spectrum to ensure their guy gets that chair in the oval office, not just for bragging rights, but because we really need someone to get this whole pandemic response thing sorted out. Unfortunately, due to factors like the administration’s efforts to cripple the post office and the aforementioned pandemic making everyone reluctant to vote in person, the notion of voting in a timely manner is becoming somewhat iffy. It’s for this reason that the country’s sports teams are offering their homes to use as polling places. Because hey, what else are they using them for right now?


So far, at least 12 teams from a variety of sports, including football, hockey, basketball, and baseball, have formally offered their home towns the use of their stadiums as large-capacity polling stations. This effort is being headed by the Election Super Centers Project, a non-partisan group that wants to ensure every last American citizen has access to fast, safe voting. The ESCP predicts that another 13 teams will offer their turf to the polling effort in the next couple of weeks, and are currently in talks with colleges and universities to use their sporting venues as well.

“No one should have to choose between exercising their most precious democratic right and their personal safety,” said singer-songwriter John Legend, one of the project’s backers.

Credit: Kim Klement/Pool Photo via AP

In a separate campaign, titled More Than a Vote, LA Lakers star LeBron James has teamed up with several other notable sports personalities toward the same goal as the ESCP: opening sports venues to polling. James’ campaign is more focused on aiding black voters against systemic and racist voter suppression tactics with the influence of prolific black athletes.

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