The Los Angeles Lakers are among nine professional sports franchises across the NBA, NFL and MLB partnering to help fans register to vote, the Sacramento Kings announced via press release on Tuesday.
The partnership, called “Rally the Vote,” is led by the Kings and owner Vivek Ranadive was announced on National Registration Day. The other organizations involved are the Chicago Bulls and White Sox, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Oakland Athletics, and San Francisco 49ers and Giants.
The initiative focuses on giving fans an easier route to registering to vote. Voter registration has been an oft-talked about issue with many Americans unable to vote in important elections due to not being registered.
Ranadive released the following statement on his new project:
“If we can make buying a ticket to a sporting event accessible in a few clicks, there is no reason why registering to vote shouldn’t be the same,” said Vivek Ranadivé, Owner and Chairman of the Sacramento Kings. “Voting is one of the most important things we do as Americans and is central to our democracy, yet tens of millions of people are not registered to vote. Sports teams have a responsibility to enact positive change in their communities, and I’m proud to see so many of us coming together to help fans register to vote so that they can have a voice in elections.”
The nine organizations will team up with TurboVote, a tool that allows people to register and file for absentee ballots. Their version of TurboVote can be implemented in the teams’ individual websites, mobile apps, and social media.
The Lakers have recently been at the forefront of some social issues. Team owner Jeanie Buss released a statement defending LeBron James after disparaging comments made towards the star from the president. More recently, the Lakers announced their inaugural Pride Night which will take place during a preseason game in October to honor the LGBTQ community.
