NBA Will Not Play On Election Day, Encouraging Fans To Vote

The NBA will not play games on Election Day, Nov. 8, this season in an effort to encourage increased voter turnout for the midterm elections among fans. The league has scheduled games around holidays before, namely Christmas Eve and Thanksgiving, but has never gone to such lengths for Election Day. All 30 teams will instead compete on Nov. 7.

In a statement following the announcement, the NBA reiterated its dedication to “promoting nonpartisan civic engagement and encouraging fans to make a plan to vote.”

The decision seems to be an extension of previous efforts by the league to support expanded voter registration and convert team facilities into voting centers.

Because all 30 teams are playing the day before Election Day, the NBA will promote those 15 games in a unified “civic engagement” themed night. Many politicians and sports figures have praised the league’s initiative, including former President Barack Obama.

Though the NBA has stressed the need for increased “nonpartisan” turnout, some conservative figures have disapproved of the plan.

Clay Travis, the founder of sports outlet Outkick, was especially critical in an interview on Fox News Wednesday, claiming that the NBA maintained a political “double standard,” demonstrating liberal values while complicity supporting enterprises in foreign countries.

Travis also said that the event would have been more acceptable if the NBA focused on “American exceptionalism” and the United States’ supposed identity as the “least racist” country.

“The problem is the Democratic party and woke politics … is founded on the principle that everything is racist and America is awful,” Travis said.

Regardless of the criticism, the NBA’s decision to cancel play on Election Day is yet another step in the league’s persistent effort to increase voter registration and turnout. The 15-game promotion occurring on the previous day is also sure to lead to an uptick in viewership as well.