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NBA stadiums will be used as voting sites as part of deal to resume Playoffs

After a one-day wildcat strike, the league announced the resumption of games along with voting right initiatives for the 2020 election.

August 28, 2020

The NBA has announced a wave of voting rights and social justice initiatives on Friday after a strike initiated by the Milwaukee Bucks to protest police violence threw the entire postseason into doubt. The new proposals were part of an agreement with the NBA players to resume the Playoffs, which will start up again on August 29, according to a statement.

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Many of the initiatives in the agreement between the league and the players have the potential to impact the 2020 election. Every stadium owned by the city's corresponding franchise will be converted into a voting center for the election, pending its approval from respective local officials. In cities where the deadline for this endeavor has passed, its stadium will be used for other election-related purposes including "voter registration and ballot receiving boards." Certain Playoff games will also include advertisements made by the league that promotes "greater civic engagement in national and local elections and raising awareness around voter access and opportunity."

The league and the players will also come together for a "social justice coalition." The group will look at "increasing access to voting, promoting civic engagement, and advocating for meaningful police and criminal justice reform."

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The NBA Playoffs will resume this Saturday after a strike initiated by the Milwaukee Bucks reverberated across the worlds of sports, and the

The NBA has announced a wave of voting rights and social justice initiatives on Friday after a strike initiated by the Milwaukee Bucks to protest police violence threw the entire postseason into doubt. The new proposals were part of an agreement with the NBA players to resume the Playoffs, which will start up again on August 29, according to a statement.

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Many of the initiatives in the agreement between the league and the players have the potential to impact the 2020 election. Every stadium owned by the city's corresponding franchise will be converted into a voting center for the election, pending its approval from respective local officials. In cities where the deadline for this endeavor has passed, the stadiums will be used for other election-related purposes including "voter registration and ballot receiving boards." Certain Playoff games will also include advertisements made by the league that promotes "greater civic engagement in national and local elections and raising awareness around voter access and opportunity."

The league and the players will also come together for a "social justice coalition." The group will look at "increasing access to voting, promoting civic engagement, and advocating for meaningful police and criminal justice reform."

Game 5 of the Playoffs was postponed after the Milwaukee Bucks refused to play against the Orlando Magic, citing the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. More teams including the Los Angeles Lakers and the Clippers followed suit, and protests spread to the WNBA, MLB, MLS, and more.

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Posted: August 28, 2020