The Atlanta Hawks are turning their arena into the largest voting center ever!
What We Know:
- The decision came after a hectic June 9 primary that saw long lines voting machine issues and accusations of voter suppression in the state.
- Principle Owner Tony Ressler said, “We always felt we were a community and civic asset. We took that oath as an opportunity and a big responsibility.”
- The move also comes after Atlanta saw weeks of protests following the death of George Floyd and the resignation of the Atlanta Police Chief after the death of Rayshard Brooks.
- Atlanta Hawks Coach Lloyd Pierce, who is black, is the chair of the NBA’s racial justice committee. He spoke about the importance of voting following the death of George Floyd. “I was born a Black man, and I know one day I’ll die a Black man, just as a lot of players and coaches are on this stage. But I don’t want to die because I’m a Black man,” Pierce stated.
- The voting arena will maintain CDC-recommended social distancing requirements and support other operations including absentee ballot processing.
- “State Farm Arena is an ideal solution to help us serve thousands of voters while maintaining social distancing requirements,” said Mary Carole Cooney, chairperson of the Fulton County Board of Registration & Elections. “We appreciate the Hawks for coming to us with this creative solution.”
Let your voice be heard..get out to vote. We look forward to welcoming Fulton County voters to State Farm Arena https://t.co/1loKZE94RM
— Steve Koonin (@SteveKoonin) June 29, 2020
- With the facility having more than 1,5,00 parking spaces, The Hawks Foundation will also provide free parking for better accessibility to voting.
- Steve Koonin, CEO of the Hawks, tweeted: “Let your voice be heard..get out to vote. We look forward to welcoming Fulton County voters to State Farm Arena.”
The polling center will be open for the primary runoff election on August 11 and early voting for the general election scheduled for November 3.
