NBA & Teams Promote Civic Engagement & Voter Participation

November 3, 2023 

The NBA is continuing its commitment to protect the right to vote and, with its teams, is promoting civic engagement across the United States. Multiple teams have unveiled voting initiatives and activations including providing voter rights education and resources, assisting with local electoral processes and more to fans, players, staff and the public. The next US election takes place on November 7 where a wide range of positions including city council members, district attorneys, county committees, governors, mayors, state legislatures, supreme court judges and more are being contested. About half of the country's 25 biggest cities will elect mayors.  

"For much of US history, the right to vote was restricted or denied, in law or in fact, to the poor, to nonwhites — particularly African Americans— and to women," states Britannica. The Voting Rights Act of 1965—along with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, one of the two most important pieces of civil rights legislation in US history—introduced nationwide protections of the right to vote and thereby greatly increased voter registration and voting among disadvantaged groups. However, in recent years provisions have been gutted.

Additionally, while voter turnout has greatly increased in the last few elections, rates trail that of many other countries, according to the Pew Research Center. In 2022, 112 million Americans voted in the midterm elections, representing around a 46% percent turnout. Overall, 70% of US adult citizens who were eligible to participate in the 2018, 2020 and 2022 voted in at least one of them, with about half that share (37%) voting in all three.

The NBA and WNBA have always been committed to community involvement. However, in 2020, players, teams, arenas and league facilities especially leveraged their platforms to encourage voter participation during the 2020 elections. This was also the year NBA Social Justice Coalition was created. Formed jointly by the NBA, the National Basketball Players Association and the National Basketball Coaches Association, the advocacy organization leverages the game of basketball’s influence to seek and achieve policy change at the federal, state and local levels. Voting rights, in addition to criminal justice, policing and justice reform, are among its prorities.

In 2022, for the first time ever, the league did not schedule any games on Election Day in order to encourage fans to vote. At the time, James Cadogan, Executive Director of the Coalition, stated: “We want people to learn and grow to understand the issues that affect them, their families and their communities. And it starts with participation."

This year, teams have been providing nonpartisan voter education on their state's voting process, encouraging voter registration and publicizing registration deadlines in order to help fans make their voting plans and ensure that their voices are heard. Some of those efforts include: 

• Charlotte Hornets’ Swarm the Polls initiative supports community electoral processes through informing and educating on voter rights and more, driving registration and encouraging voter turnout. 
• The Philadelphia 76ers’ Vote 76 Hub provides resources and information around key voting deadlines, links to voter registration information and other knowledge needed to cast votes in 2023. 
• Minnesota Timberwolves’ Pack the Vote initiative provides nonpartisan voter education and resources such as voter information for non-Minnesota residents to increase voter registration and inspire civic engagement in the community and throughout the country. It aims to encourage fans in the Twin Cities to educate themselves on voter facts and “let their voices be heard at the polls.” 
• Utah Jazz’s Get in the Game and Vote provides essential information about how locals can register to vote and where the polls are. It also shares answers to frequently asked questions such as, how to register if I live out of state, how to cast my ballot, how to know my vote is secure and why the general election is being held later in 2023. 
• Dallas Mavericks Take Action initiative shares the latest voting information in the state of Texas. As part of this, the Count It Coalition consisting of the Mavericks, Mavs Gaming (NBA 2K), Texas Legends (G-League) and The Dallas Wings (WNBA) is committed to encouraging and increasing civic engagement awareness of voter registration and education to help Dallas-Fort Worth locals let their voices be heard in local and national elections. 
• The Memphis Grizzlies Your Vote Matters provides information about voter registration, how to be an advocate for voting rights and education about the history of voting. Its #GrizzVotes Voter Education Program focuses on the entire voting process, including the act of voting (early, absentee and in-person on Election Day), getting educated on candidates and serving the community as poll workers. Additional efforts include the team hosting drive-thru voter information at FedExForum and other facilities. 
• Oklahoma City ThunderVote shares information on upcoming election dates, absentee ballots, registration deadlines, locating polling places and more. It intends to promote all forms of voting with an emphasis on ensuring that all eligible Oklahoma citizens are registered to vote, and educate themselves on candidates and the issues at hand. 
• The Boston Celtics Take Action intends to help all Americans cast their vote to elect the country’s leaders. By providing all the information locals need to vote, it hopes to increase voter turnout and registrations so that all communities and families can have a say on the issues that impact the present and future.