Miami-Dade voters should turn up the heat on mayor for rejecting arena voting site
Millions of voters are expected to cast their ballots by mail in the coming weeks, in Florida and around the country. But the need for safe, inperson voting options remains vital. The NBA’s offer to donate its arenas as polling places is one example of how Americans from all walks of life are pitching in to help our democracy. Twenty teams quickly rallied — in cities from Cleveland to Charlotte, and from San Antonio to Sacramento — and many will now have the opportunity to cast their ballots courtside.
But Miami-Dade County officials rebuffed the Miami Heat’s proposal to designate AmericanAirlines Arena an early-voting site come October. Mayor Carlos Gimenez opted instead for the nearby science museum, foreclosing the vast benefits of having such a spacious, highly visible, and excitement-drenched voting venue.
This local fight is part of an urgent national movement to involve the private sector in creative ways to help shore up elections this year. State and local officials have been left in a lurch by the federal government’s failure so far to fully fund core election infrastructure — and that includes polling places. Miami Heat players made clear the true community spirit of their offer: “[O]ur pledge was to use our platform to encourage people to exercise their constitutional right to vote,” the team said in a public statement.
Such contributions are noble — even if not particularly novel. The private sector has long provided support for essential public functions, underwriting everything from hospital wings to hurricane relief. This includes elections, too. Houses of worship and senior and community centers are among the facilities run by private organizations that are commonly used as polling sites. State officials have forged private partnerships, as well, to upgrade voter registration and voter lists.
A pandemic election has needs more far-reaching and distinct. Super-sized sports arenas, for example, are well-suited to meet the guidelines for healthy, in-person voting. Declining such an offer — so far Miami-Dade is the only place to publicly do so —should not be done lightly.
Other private sector interventions can make a difference this year.
Among the most critical: recruitment of poll workers. This is a role traditionally filled by senior citizens — one in every four poll workers nationwide is 70 or older — and many may well stay home because of health and safety concerns, as happened in the primaries. Younger workers who are not as much at risk are in high demand. Recently, the Old Navy retail chain announced that it will help fill the gap by paying store employees for eight hours to serve as poll workers, joining the ranks of companies like Target and Warby Parker, which are doing similar.
And businesses can give employees paid time off to vote. The nonpartisan
Time to Vote coalition includes more than 800 businesses committed to doing just that. Spearheaded by Levi Strauss and Patagonia, participants range from Walmart to Nike, plus a wide array of large and small retailers and firms. Many of its members are sharing vital information with both employees and customers about how to register and when, where, and how to vote.
The private sector can also subsidize personal protective gear and pandemic-specific supplies: Anheuser-Busch will produce and donate more than 8 million ounces of hand sanitizer to state election offices that have requested it.
Even Main Street storefronts and parking lots can double as facilities for storing and counting ballots. We should not be turning down any sensible options.
Frankly, in any other year we would be hardpressed as democracy advocates to call upon the private sector to this extent. But the pandemic poses a national threat to the very foundation of our democracy. States and local officials have appealed to the federal government for months for the resources they need to run safe, secure elections. Only a fraction of those funds were appropriated in the March stimulus, the CARES Act. The House since passed a coronavirus relief package including $3.6 billion for election costs, but the Senate and the White House have refused to budge.
A functional democracy should not have to rely on good will to enable the very basics for its elections. This is a public obligation, and national leaders have failed to fulfill their duty. As we continue to hold them accountable for these funds, we must also make it possible for business leaders and the private sector to help fill the breach here and now.
Which is why we need to turn the heat back on Miami-Dade County to entertain every reasonable alternative to easy and safe early voting. With so many tough calls this year, this offer should not have been benched so quickly.