Kings expand coalition of NBA, NFL, MLB, WNBA and other pro teams to ‘Rally the Vote’
The Kings are expanding an initiative designed to increase voter registration leading up to the November election.
The Kings, in collaboration with When We All Vote and RISE, announced Wednesday they are relaunching “Rally the Vote,” a 20-team, nonpartisan collation of professional sports franchises across the NBA, NFL, Major League Baseball, WNBA, MLS and NWSL. The collation will urge organizational action and use of team facilities to increase access to voting opportunities with voter registration resources provided by RISE and When We All Vote.
In addition to the Kings, the coalition includes the Chicago Bulls and White Sox; Denver Nuggets; Indiana Pacers and Fever; Milwaukee Bucks; Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx; New York Giants; Portland Trail Blazers; San Diego Padres; San Francisco Giants; Seattle Storm; Washington Wizards and Mystics; Washington Spirit; and Athletes Unlimited.
“There’s no better way to be heard than by voting and it’s important we all do our part to lower barriers to the ballot box,” Kings owner Vivek Ranadive said in a news release. “The idea of ‘one person, one vote’ is part of the reason I fell in love with this country as a teenager. Whether you agree or disagree with your elected officials, voting gives us an opportunity to make our voices heard. At the Kings, we believe that sports teams have a unique responsibility to use our platforms for positive change, and we’re excited to ‘Rally the Vote’ alongside these incredible teams.”
The Kings recently announced Golden 1 Center will be used as a California vote center for 11 days leading up to the Nov. 3 election, providing access to a safe and socially distanced site for residents to register to vote and cast ballots.
The Kings first launched “Rally the Vote” on Sept. 25, 2018, National Voter Registration Day. The original coalition of nine teams reached millions of people through social media platforms and registered thousands of voters leading up to midterm elections.
This story was originally published August 12, 2020 at 8:00 AM.
