BY BEN VERDE
Barclays Center will
open its doors as a polling
location for the 2020 presidential
election, according
to officials.
“By having these additional
spaces that we can
practice social distancing,
we will ensure that we have
a fair election season,” said
Borough President Eric Adams
at a Sep. 1 press conference
outside the arena.
The announcement comes
as NBA players — who are
currently playing playoff
games in a “bubble” in Orlando
— have used their
platform to push for reforms
around voting, policing, and
social justice.
The issue boiled over
last week, when a cadre of
players staged a strike after
Wisconsin police officers
shot 29-year-old Black
man Jacob Blake in the
back multiple times while
his three children looked
on. After a two-day postponement,
the athletes resumed
the season, but have
increased their vocal support
of causes like the Black
Lives Matter movement and
voting rights.
Now, as the COVID-19
pandemic has thrown the
electoral process into flux
— with less polling locations
and the Trump administration’s
push to hamper
voting by mail — the players
have pressured arena
owners to use vacant stadiums
as places for citizens to
cast their ballots, said the
Beep.
“The NBA players — we
need to acknowledge what
they are doing,” he said.
“They are using this opportunity
to say part of any
agreement to keep moving
forward in sports is to ensure
that we allow access
to voting. The power of the
vote can not be over or underemphasized.”
Barclays Center — which
has been the site of many
protests since the police
killing of George Floyd in
Minnesota — will open for
early voting between Oct. 24
and Nov. 1, as well as Election
Day on Nov. 3.
Local elected officials
encouraged Brooklynites
to make use of the space for
early voting, which very few
New Yorkers did during the
last general election in November
2019.
“If we say that Black
Lives Matter, the way we
truly exercise that belief
is by coming here to make
sure that you vote,” said
Councilwoman Laurie
Cumbo, whose district encompasses
the arena. “The
same way people come out
to see Beyonce, Justin Bieber,
Jay-Z, the same way
droves of people come out
of that train station to come
to a concert here is what we
need to see.”
Barclays Center is the
second New York City arena
after Madison Square Garden
COURIER L 14 IFE, SEPT. 4–10, 2020 M BR B G
Offi cials announce the new polling locations inside Barclays Center.
Photo by Ben Verde
in Manhattan to announce
it will become a poll
site. BSE Global, the company
that manages the Fort
Greene arena, said it will
encourage its employees to
volunteer as poll workers.
“We are proud to be a
part of the incredible effort
that many NBA arenas
have shown to ensure that
people exercise their voting
power,” said BSE Global
CEO John Abbamondi.
Register to vote at www.
vote.nyc
Courting voters
Barclays Center to serve as poll site for 2020 election
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A century ago, on August
18th, American women
were guaranteed the right to
vote. Four years later, Native
Americans were granted that
right too. Forty years later, in
1964, the Civil Rights Act was
passed ensuring the rights of
all men and women, regardless
of race, religion, or education
the right to vote. In 1965,
the Voting Rights Act, landmark
legislation that prohibited
racial discrimination in
voting was signed into law.
Passage of these laws did
not come without struggle.
In the fight for voting rights,
some people mobilized, strategized,
protested, died and
suffered at the hand of others
for the right to vote. As
such was the case on March
7, 1965, when peaceful participants
in a Selma to Montgomery
march for voting rights
were met by Alabama state
troopers who attacked them
with nightsticks, tear gas and
whips after they refused to
turn back. In that crowd were
young college students. One
in particular, John Lewis—
who at the time served as
chairman of the Student Non-
Violent Coordinating Committee,
helped to organize
the March on Washington
and who would go on to serve
as a member of the House of
Representatives for 33 years
— was severely beaten. Many
Americans were outraged
by the violence against the
marchers and the overall injustice
against those who desired
the right to vote. This,
in part, lead to the signing of
the Civil Rights Act of 1965.
Here we are, 55 years later.
The country is less than 100
days away from Election Day
2020. There’s an upswell of
concern about voter suppression,
and the people are once
again mobilizing, strategizing
and protesting against
and for a number of critical
causes. Voting ensures that
our voice is heard. When
we vote, more goes into just
choosing a person on the ballot;
we’re also taking action
in deciding laws on health
care, immigration, funding
of housing, parks, roads
and highways, public safety,
employment, schools, living
wages and taxes. On Election
Day, we will have the chance
to decide matters relating to
our communities, our city,
our state and our nation. Every
vote counts, and every
vote is counted.
If you’re not sure if you
are registered to vote, would
like to request an absentee
ballot, or would like to know
where you can vote, please go
online to vote.org where you
will find everything you need
to vote.
There is a wealth of information
online about the candidates
and issues as well.
Polling sites are open early
and close late. Voting only
takes a couple of minutes.
And, many jurisdictions are
required to have non-English
ballots according to the
Census information reported
in the community. There is
nothing that should stop you
from voting.
John Lewis once said
“there comes a time when you
have to say something. You
have to make a little noise.
You have to move your feet.
This is the time.” The time is
now. November 3rd is right
around the corner. It’s time
to make your voice heard and
make some noise with your
ballot.
Dr. Claudia V. Schrader
is president of Kingsborough
Community College (KCC), a
72-acre academic oasis located
in beautiful Manhattan Beach,
Brooklyn. Kingsborough Community
College is committed
to enhancing learning opportunities
for the Brooklyn community.
EDUCAT I O N PROFI LE
Your Vote, Your Voice
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/www.vote.nyc
/www.vote.nyc
/vote.org
