Ex-Chiefs GM Scott Pioli wants to make voting more accessible with help of NFL teams
Last month, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and defensive back Tyrann Mathieu said they hope to help increase voter registration.
Mahomes also joined Lakers star LeBron James’ More Than a Vote non-profit organization, which aims to fight voter suppression.
A former Chiefs general manager also has been working to get out the vote this year.
An Associated Press story noted Scott Pioli last month made a presentation to the National Association of Secretaries of State, which is located in Washington D.C. Pioli suggested pro and college sports facilities be opened as large-scale voting sites.
During last month’s primary in Georgia, there were long lines at some polling places because others had closed.
The idea of using larger facilities has gained traction. In Kentucky, a Louisville convention center was used when the number of polling places were reduced because of a shortage of workers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the national election less than four months away, NBA teams, including the Bucks, Pistons and Hawks, have offered the use of their arenas for polling sites, the Journal Times reported.
During an interview last week on the NFL Network, Pioli suggested NFL teams could use their training facilities for polling places as well. He also thinks teams could give its employees Election Day, which is Nov. 3, off from work. Those employees could aid the voting process.
“I have this idea that I’d love to see NFL teams and their coaches mobilize their players and their non-essential employees on Tuesdays to put them out there,” Pioli said, per NFL.com. “To help as volunteers, to work the polls to volunteer at the polls to be a physical presence to bring people in.”
Pioli believes this is a way for professional sports teams to give back to their communities.
“I see this as an opportunity for the NFL in a very, very critical year to step up, move forward and give us your time, give us your treasure, give us your talent, give us your human resources,” Pioli said, per NFL.com. “Work on using facilities that you have whether its your indoor facility as a voting station. Work in conjunction with NBA teams, or MLB teams to use the facilities within your city.
“We’ve got all these facilities that are publicly funded that our teams use year-in and year-out; let’s serve the public. Serve your local public. … Let’s find a way to help people to get across cities and into areas to use public transportation, pay for public transportation to get people to the polls. And the most important things that, as I’ve talked to a number of secretaries of states throughout this country, is we need places to vote and we need people to help us. ... Use every resource that you possibly have. I think that’s one big way that teams can help.”
