On Oct. 13, Michell Obama, member of When We All Vote teamed up with LeBron James, member of More Than A Vote to encourage early voting for this year’s election.
“Our organization is not here to tell you who to vote for,” said the members of More than a Vote.
According to ABC News, back in 2016, only 22% of NBA players had voted in the election, but this year’s voter registration is now up to 96% within the NBA league.
James and Obama said in their announcement that they are planning to provide information, food, music, and PPE (personal protective equipment) in early voting sites across the country between the dates of Oct. 18 to 31. The cities that are holding events under the organizations When We All Vote and More Than A Vote are Atlanta, Charlotte, Detroit, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Orlando, and Philadelphia.
Lyft is providing discounted rides for people wanting to get to the early voting sites. The organizations also are having celebrity and athlete attendances at these events that are walking distance from the voting sites.
“I think it’s a great initiative to encourage voter turnout. 2016 was the first election I voted in, but this year it seems like everyone is trying to get everyone to vote and I think it’s a good thing,” said senior Kyle Polishan.
Before the start of the WNBA season, the WNBA players had formed a Social Justice Council alongside supporting the Say Her Name campaign which promotes awareness for Black female victims of police brutality and violence specifically in the United States. The WNBA has specifically dedicated their season to Breonna Taylor, a victim of a police shooting.
“It’s sort of like just allowing the rest of society to catch up and discover what makes us amazing women, what makes our brand of basketball unique and special,” said forward and center player for the Los Angeles Sparks and vice president for the WNBA Player’s Association Chiney Ogwumike, in a recent interview with Glamour Daily.
With the election coming up, many huge corporations, organizations, and celebrities are expressing the importance of voting more than prior election years. Social media apps Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are just a couple of the few that have asked their users if they’re registered to vote and if they aren’t, they will direct them to their state’s website to register.
Some students at Sacred Heart University questioned whether celebrities are biased.
“I am shocked that LeBron James and Michelle Obama are planning all these events and are pushing for a one-sided agenda. It’s very obvious to me who they’re pushing for voters, but a democratic former first lady can’t say she does not have a side,” said sophomore Isaiah Disla.
NPR News reported that three NBA teams are allowing their arenas to serve as voting places. The Atlanta Hawks, the Detroit Pistons, and the Milwaukee Bucks are the three teams that are offering their venues, getting a lot of positive feedback from the league.
“The group, More Than A Vote, has praised the NBA franchises volunteering their spaces, while also egging on others with a hoops-like challenge: ‘Who’s got next?’”, said NPR News in a broadcast.
For more information on More Than a Vote and When We All Vote, visit their websites at https://www.morethanavote.org/ and https://www.whenweallvote.org/votetogether/.
