Throughout his time in the NBA Bubble this summer, LeBron James has been working from afar with More Than A Vote, the voting rights organization he leads, to make it easier for Americans to vote in the upcoming election.
According to Astead Herndon of the New York Times, the organization has signed up more than 10,000 poll workers in Black electoral districts so far, and while they have their sights set on other specific cities in the coming weeks, many of those poll workers will be celebrated during Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
On the jumobtron of virtual fans along the baseline and sideline during Game 1, many newly assigned poll workers from across the country will sit in on the game as they are honored by James and More Than A Vote. This report comes from Herndon, who was provided data from More Than A Vote to back up these impressive numbers as well as how the campaign will honor these poll workers.
Going forward, James’ group is partnering with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund to target 11 cities that are populated by a high proportion of people of color, sit in swing counties for the upcoming election, or both, including Flint, Michigan, and San Antonio, Texas. When James tosses his trademark chalk into the air before Game 1, he’ll be looking into the faces of folks who have committed to participating in the electoral process even more deeply this year than ever before thanks to the work of More Than A Vote.