Why are there no NBA games on Nov. 8? Election Day signals league initiative to promote civic engagement
You can add Election Day to the list of dates when there will be no NBA action in the 2022-23 season.
Prior to the release of the NBA’s schedule, the league announced that no games would be played on November 8, 2022, which is Election Day in the United States.
In lieu of games, the NBA will encourage bipartisan civic engagement and encourage fans to make plans to vote in the midterm elections.
The NBA announced today that no games will be played on Election Day, Tuesday, November 8, 2022.
The scheduling decision arose out of the NBA family’s focus on fostering bipartisan engagement and encouraging fans to create a plan for voting during the midterm elections. https://t.co/nFiEHlws0Q
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) August 16, 2022
NBC correspondent Shaquille Brewster, who first broke the news, added that all 30 NBA teams will be on duty Monday, Nov. 7, when the league kicks off at each of the 15 arenas hosting games. “Civic Engagement Nights” organized.
SCOOP: The year 2022 @NBA The schedule does NOT show Election Day games.
Instead, all 30 teams will compete at a “Civic Engagement Night” the previous Monday to encourage fans, players and staff to vote in this year’s midterm elections.
(More on this @NBCNews)
— Shaquille Brewster (@shaqbrewster) August 16, 2022
“It’s unusual, we don’t typically change the schedule for an outside event,” said James Cadogan, executive director of the NBA’s Social Justice Coalition, “but obviously voting and Election Day are unique and incredibly important to our democracy.”
With the NBA “bubble” playing into the month of October in the 2019-20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the start of the 2020-21 season being postponed, there have been no conflicts with the NBA’s schedule and the 2020 United federal presidential election. However, in other election years, NBA games were scheduled on Election Day.
This marks a clear departure from previous election years.
While COVID delayed the start of the 2020 season…
—8 teams played on Election Day 2018,
—12 teams in 2016
—16 teams on Midterms 2014 night.— Shaquille Brewster (@shaqbrewster) August 16, 2022
During the 2020 presidential election, most arenas were closed for events due to the pandemic, but NBA teams worked with their home cities to convert 23 of 28 arenas across the United States into official early voting and Election Day locations.
While it’s unclear whether or not arenas will be converted to polling stations in 2022, the league-wide initiative is expected to have a positive impact on the community.
2022-23 NBA schedule
The full schedule for the 2022-23 NBA season will be released on Wednesday, August 17th.
🗓️ The NBA will announce its full game and national television schedules for the 2022-23 regular season tomorrow, Wednesday, August 17 at 3:00 p.m. ET. pic.twitter.com/H6Fo2Sotms
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) August 16, 2022
In addition to Election Day on November 8, history suggests that Saturday, December 24, Christmas Eve and Monday, April 3, when the men’s NCAA national championship will be played at NRG Stadium, history suggests no NBA -Games will be played in Houston.