By: Eva Sanders, Contributing Writer
It’s nearing election time, once again, and for those who are choosing to vote in-person rather than by mail, a number of NBA arenas have opened their facilities.
The majority of Americans already know which candidate they’re voting for, however, with the current state of the pandemic, the process of in-person voting will need to adhere to safety protocols. Since compact spaces and Covid-19 don’t mix, an arena is large enough to ensure safety for the vulnerable population who still want to cast their ballot.
A glance inside the Orlando Magic arena, showing relatively how many people it is able to accommodate.
Local election officials were previously panicking, due to the fact that there weren’t any buildings large enough to enforce social distancing while voting or registering to vote. Larger metropolitan areas were in the midst of this chaos. The facilities being used had to be large enough that voters could social distance while waiting in line. The home of the Los Angeles Lakers, Staples Center, was one the first teams to announce they’d open as a voting center. Lakers player, LeBron James has encouraged other NBA teams to open their venues to the public as voting and registration centers. NBA arenas can fit an incredible amount of people, while still spacing them out.
Democratic presidential candidate, former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign kickoff rally, May 18, 2019 in Philadelphia. Drew Angerer/Getty Images
A number of arenas have taken the initiative to open their facilities to the public. Unfortunately, not all of these locations are easily accessible to Floridians if they aren’t willing to make a long drive, however, there are a few that are within the area. Orlando Magic arena has a capacity of approximately 20,000 people and is available to Orange County registered voters. Early voting access will be granted from Oct. 19 to Nov. 1. The Atlanta Hawks are another considerably local team. Their arena has a capacity of 21,000 and will be open starting Oct. 12. A portion of the building will be dedicated to counting mail-in ballots. It’s also one of the largest voting locations in the history of the state of Georgia.
President Donald J. Trump, at the Republican national convention , Charlotte, NC.
By William Goldschlag and Dan Janison
Due to player protests, plans of arenas reopening have been changed. Privately-owned arenas would be ideal to use as voting and registration centers since the owners can easily offer their facility. On the other hand, publicly-owned arenas would make the process more difficult, since local officials have the authority to deny citizens requests. This has happened already. Players whose teams practice in public arenas have been advocating for these centers to open up to voters, however, their requests were denied. Many local officials still aren’t convinced that voting can be done safely and effectively, which would be the reason to not grant access to the arenas.
Residents wait in line to pick up a ballot during early voting at the Black Hawk County Courthouse on Sept. 27, 2012 in Waterloo, Iowa. Scott Olson / Getty Images
With the current state of the world, people are encouraged to vote now more than ever. While politics may be a controversial topic, it’s still imperative that voters of all ages, especially the upcoming generation cast their ballots.
A glance inside the Atlanta Hawks’ arena, showing relatively how many people it can accommodate.
“The easiest way to keep us from changing anything is to keep us from voting,” Lebron James stated.
If voting can be done in a safe environment, there’s virtually no reason not to vote.
Masks will most definitely be required, when voting.
