49ers, Santa Clara County To Turn Levi's Stadium Into Voting Center For November Election
SANTA CLARA (CBS SF) -- The San Francisco 49ers and Santa Clara County will turn Levi's Stadium into a voting center for the November 3rd election as part of an ongoing effort to drive voter awareness and turnout in the county.
Beginning October 31 and through Election Day, Levi's Stadium will be open to voters to drop off ballots, participate in early voting, and to vote in-person on November 3. Voters will be able to park free at Levi's Stadium during voting days
The 49ers and the county announced the voter outreach partnership Tuesday morning along with California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, Levi's, and social justice advocacy group More Than A Vote.
"Our partnership with Levi's Stadium and the 49ers is another touchdown for democracy this year," Secretary of State Alex Padilla said in a prepared statement. "The addition of voting venues that allow for social distancing are critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to be inspired by sports venues opening their doors for new and safe voting options this year and hope it inspires other teams to follow suit as the clock runs down on the November General Election."
In June, the 49ers announced November 3rd would be recognized as a company holiday to make sure all employees have an opportunity to vote and volunteer at a voting center or polling place.
"We've been through a lot here in Northern California between the pandemic and the wildfires ravaging our communities, so I'm incredibly proud that our team can work with the Secretary of State and Board of Supervisors to play a role in providing a core civic duty in a moment of crisis," said Addisu Demisse, More Than A Vote Executive Director. "More Than A Vote has been focused on creating safe and convenient in-person voting opportunities for vulnerable communities and by converting Levi's Stadium into a voting location, that's exactly what we're doing here in Santa Clara County."
Tuesday's announcement continues a trend around the county of pro sports teams encouraging fans to vote and raising racial and social justice issues.
On Monday, the Oakland A's announced that the Coliseum would become a polling center for the upcoming election, offering will-call voting, curbside voting and drive-thru stops to drop off completed mail-in ballots.
The Golden State Warriors are also opening up the Chase Center in San Francisco and Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz as voting centers. The Warriors also plan to open up their Oakland facility at 1011 Broadway for people to vote and drop off their ballots, also from Halloween through Election Day. The Warriors said the Oakland facility will also train poll workers.