NBA wants arenas to be voting locations

No plans for Suns arena yet, county official says

The league will also fund advertisements promoting civic engagement and voter access during each NBA playoff game.

Following a week of canceled games and heated discussions about social justice, the National Basketball Association is asking teams to promote voting in their communities.

In a joint statement, the NBA and National Basketball Players Association asked all franchises that own or control their arenas to work with their local election officials to convert the facility into a voting location for the Nov. 3 election.

The league will also fund advertisements promoting civic engagement and voter access during each NBA playoff game, according to the statement.

Phoenix owns Talking Stick Resort Area, where the Suns play, but the team controls the arena. The arena is currently undergoing a $230 million renovation.

Will the Suns’ arena have voting?

There are no plans to use the arena for voting at this time, according to Maricopa County Elections Department spokesperson Megan Gilbertson.

Gilbertson said the county is working with the nearby Phoenix Convention Center, which served as a vote center in the August primary election, and other large venues to offer safe in-person voting.

“Due to the pandemic, Maricopa County will implement safety protocols at all of our voting locations, including physical distancing,” she said. “Partnering with retail facilities, malls, convention centers and other large locations is an important part of ensuring Maricopa County voters have accessible and safe in-person voting options throughout the county.”

The vote center locations will not be finalized until September, Gilbertson said.

The Phoenix Suns did not immediately respond to a request for information about how the franchise will promote civic engagement.

According to ESPN, the Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee

Bucks, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Charlotte Hornets and Utah Jazz have already announced that their arenas will be available to be used as voting locations in November.

NBA playoffs will resume

Several NBA teams refused to participate in playoff games this week following the social unrest spurred by police shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake, a Black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Blake was shot seven times in the back at close range Sunday while getting into an SUV with his three sons, ages 3, 5 and 8.

Police said they were responding to a “domestic incident,” and Blake resisted their orders.

He survived but was paralyzed, according to his family.

All 16 of the NBA playoff teams met Wednesday night to decide whether to continue with the playoffs. The majority of the teams voted to restart the playoffs on Saturday.

The Los Angeles Lakers and L.A. Clippers were the only teams that voted against continuing the playoffs, but have since agreed to play.

How to register to vote

The deadline to register to vote in Arizona is Oct. 5.

Arizonans can register to vote online through the Motor Vehicle Department.

Maricopa County voters can check their registration status at beballotrea dy.vote.