Engaging Fans, Empowering Voters: How Professional Sports are Promoting Civic Engagement

Anyone who has ever watched a game knows the connection fans have to the sport, the teams they root for, and the athletes they follow. People in the sports world can reach a different audience in a different way than traditional voter outreach programs. Because of that, the NBA, NFL, players, teams, and players associations throughout pro-sports have been stepping up efforts to educate players and fans on the importance of voting and how to register and vote. This year, they have been working in close partnership with Vet the Vote, an organization dedicated to recruiting veterans to become poll workers and be representatives of democracy at the polling place.

The Ash Center invites you to a discussion with representatives of the NBA, NFL Votes, the co-founder of Vet the Vote, and the Deputy Secretary of State of Georgia to discuss how these partnerships are succeeding at supporting voter participation and fair and secure elections. 

Speakers include: 

• Mannone Butler, Head of Programs and Partnerships, National Basketball Social Justice Coalition 
• Jordan Fuchs, Deputy Secretary of State and Chief of Staff to the Secretary of State of Georgia
• Ellen Gustafson, Co-Founder, Vet the Vote 
• Scott Pioli, Five-time NFL Executive of the Year and 3x Super Bowl Champion with the New England Patriots, Current NFL Network Front Office Analyst
• Tova Wang (Moderator), Director of Research Projects in Democratic Practice, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Harvard Kennedy School 

About the Series

This webinar is part of the 2024 U.S. Election Webinar series sponsored by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. As the United States heads to the polls in November, this series will convene scholars and practitioners to discuss down-ballot issues, election administration, election security, voter trends, and more.

Event Details

This event is online-only and registration is required. A recording will be made available after the event’s conclusion.

The Ash Center encourages individuals with disabilities to participate in its events. Should you wish to enquire about an accommodation, please contact our events team at info@ash.harvard.edu.