Sports world reacts to Election Day as U.S. chooses between Donald Trump, Joe Biden
As the United States eagerly watches the several races during Election Day on Tuesday, the sports world is no different.
Athletes, coaches and teams have taken to social media to urge their followers to get out and vote, if they haven't already through the early voting procedures that have led to a historic turnout as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread throughout the country.
Some of the key battleground states to watch in the Presidential election include Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and Florida. And within those states, some sporting venues have opened their doors as polling stations and voting sites, including the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida and a tailgating venue close to Lambeau Field in Green Bay – where the Packers play.
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Here's a look at notable reactions to the 2020 election from around the sports world.
- Lakers star LeBron James shared a tweet that shows a video about possible act of voter suppression in New York that had been shared by Twitter personality Rex Chapman.
- Former WNBA star Tamika Catchings spent her day as a volunteer poll worker at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse, where she played for the Indiana Fever.
"Really, for me, it's about the opportunity to give back," Catchings said. "With everybody talking about voting when we were in the Wubble, it's just something that we were really pressing. To have the opportunity to continue that trend, come out, get people to vote, being at Bankers Life, I feel like I'm at home and basically welcoming people into our house."
- Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes posted a message letting local followers know that Arrowhead Stadium, where the team plays, will be open and serving as a polling location.
- Oklahoma City point guard Chris Paul shared an image with voting rights to help his followers when they go to cast their ballots.
- The football program at William Penn University ran a shuttle bus for students to head out to polling locations so that they could vote.
- Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who has backed the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris ticket, posted a tweet indicating which states allow voters to register and vote on Election Day.
- A prominent current and former athletes revealed that they voted this year for the first time, including Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller and Hall of Fame basketball player Julius Erving.
Contributing: Tom Schad