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The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), its members and the basketball community are advocating for civic engagement and voter participation in the run-up to the U.S. general election on Nov 5. Voter turnout in the 2020 U.S. general election soared to levels not seen in decades with more than 158.4 million people voting. However, the nation still falls short as compared to many other countries.
When comparing turnout among the voting-age population in the 2020 election against recent elections in 49 other countries, the U.S. ranks 31st between Colombia and Greece. Additionally, the 2022 voter turnout rates of Black (15%) and Latino (14%) youth were far below those of youth overall (23%). Young women (25%) also voted at a slightly higher rate than young men (21%) and the gender gap was more pronounced among Black youth.
The NBPA joined forces with TUNL, a platform merging sports, fashion and culture, to release a new ‘But Did You Vote?’ capsule collection to encourage voter registration and poll turnout. Designed by Creative Director and TUNL founding team member, Desyrée Nicole, this is TUNL’s first apparel collaboration. To further support civic engagement, it will also join with the NBPA Foundation and Social Change Fund to donate to When We All Vote to host four “Party at the Polls” events in Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and Wisconsin. The national, nonpartisan initiative was founded and co-chaired by former First Lady of the U.S. Michelle Obama to increase participation in every election and close the race and age gap in voter participation.
“Voting is one of the most powerful ways to drive change, especially among young and minority voters who play a pivotal role in shaping our futures,” said Ashley Champ, TUNL Founder and CEO. “Since inception, TUNL has been rooted in community building and driving cultural movements. This is more than just apparel; it’s a call to action to ensure your voice is heard.”
In addition to this effort, the NBA and the NBPA teamed up with Vet the Vote, a nonprofit organization that recruits veterans and military families to serve as election poll workers. Recruiting and retaining poll workers has become increasingly challenging. Typically, America needs approximately one million volunteer poll workers during a presidential election.
To address this critical issue, the NBA and NBPA joined a coalition of 40 other national veteran and military family service and engagement organizations and businesses, including the NFL and NASCAR, working together to inspire veterans and military family members to “serve their communities again” through Vet the Vote. With the NBA and NBPA’s help alone, the nonprofit has recruited over 162,000 members.
“Voting rights haven’t always been a privilege in this country,” said C.J. McCollum, President of the NBPA. “It is critical that we never forget that and use the power of our collective platforms to influence the change we hope to see in our country. Regardless of political affiliation or stance on key issues, it’s our goal to encourage not only NBA players, but all eligible voters to turn out to the polls this November and make their voices heard.”
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