As we know now, NBA arenas will be polling places in November. This is great, but only a portion of the battle. I have a “modest proposal” about how we WIN in November.
Less than 80,000 votes in three states decided the 2016 election. Those three states were: Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. What do those states (and the swing states of Ohio and Florida) have in common? They all have NBA teams.
What if the fans of the Pistons, the 76ers, the Bucks, the Cavaliers, the Heat and the Magic could be incentivized to turn out?
It is quite clear that the NBA Players Association supports BLM and social justice.* Here’s an idea: NBA players could/should volunteer as poll workers in those arenas that are now set to be polling places.
Or just announce they will autograph fan’s voting stubs/receipts, etc. (this could even be set up in a socially distanced way). There are way more fans than there are people who can afford tickets. I suspect any deficit in voters in Philly, Detroit or Milwaukee that we had (and 80,000 over three states isn’t much to overcome) can be addressed with this little gambit.
Let’s get out there and WIN!!
*- For the record, although I used a photo of LeBron, I am a Warriors fan through and through. But LeBron has been particularly outspoken on politics and justice lately and is immediately recognizable to basketball fans around the world, so . . . no haters, okay?