Previous efforts included partnerships with teams in Los Angeles and Atlanta to turn their stadiums into polling places, as well as a statewide effort in Florida to help the formerly incarcerated restore their voting rights. Mr. Vick credited people like Mr. James and Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who knelt during the national anthem to protest racism, for making political advocacy a priority for the modern athlete. “When you’re young, the way you look at life, you don’t think that your vote counts,” Mr. Vick said. Ms. Ifill said the push to recruit poll workers was part of a multipronged approach from voting rights organizations, whose persistent concerns about voter suppression and ballot access are now amplified by the coronavirus. Access to mail-in ballots should be ensured, she said, but states should also take precautions to make in-person voting safe and accessible.

Source: New York Times August 24, 2020 17:45 UTC