NFL Announces New Voting Initiative
NEW YORK (August 6, 2020) – The NFL today announced the launch of NFL Votes, a league-wide, nonpartisan initiative that will support and encourage the civic engagement and voting of NFL players, Legends, club and league personnel, and NFL fans from now until Election Day.
NFL Votes will focus on three key components of the electoral process: voter education, voter registration, and voter activation. These voting efforts are incorporated into the league’s social justice initiative Inspire Change. As the league continues to amplify causes that players are most passionate about, prominent players and coaches have been vocal about the importance of voting, with some of their voices featured in the NFL Votes television spot launching today including: Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil; New Orleans Saints defensive end Cam Jordan; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Shaquem Griffin, cornerback Shaquill Griffin, and head coachPete Carroll.
“Today marks the 55th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was meant to ensure the right to vote for all Americans, prohibiting discrimination in voting based on race or color,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “Through meeting with players and legends to better understand causes and issues they are passionate about, we found a consensus around the importance of voting. That’s why we’re putting the power of our platform behind NFL Votes, aiming to inspire and encourage people to get educated about the voting process, to get registered to vote, and to ultimately exercise their right to vote.”
The anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 signifies the importance of remaining engaged and the need for continued progress in positively impacting our communities. NFL Votes intends to ensure that the entire NFL Family is educated on the importance of exercising the fundamental right to vote and can make informed decisions on whether to engage in local, state, and presidential elections.
The league has partnered with three non-profit, non-partisan organizations on this initiative: I am a voter., RISE to Vote, and Rock the Vote. These organizations were selected based on their individual mission, capacity, experience to engage communities and expand voter participation and turnout. In the voter education phase, these organizations will provide educational seminars for players and club personnel during the first few weeks of training camp, followed by sessions for league employees and NFL Legends.
For more information visit www.nfl.com/votes.
(Photo courtesy of The Durango Herald)