“More Than A Vote” is a group of athletes and entertainers who are prominently Black and are being headlined by NBA superstar LeBron James. More Than a Vote announced that their mission was to increase the number of poll workers in Black electoral districts across the United States. Since its launch, they have enrolled over 10,000 poll volunteers.  

Athletes used their platform during the NBA Finals to encourage people to help in the polls during the upcoming elections. There were many virtual fans during Game 1 of the NBA Finals that became first-time poll workers.  

Among the virtual crowd, former President Barack Obama, as well as famous NBA stars, which included Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dwyane Wade, and Shaquille O’Neal, used their appearance to thank poll workers assisting in the coming elections. 

The More Than a Vote organization, led by NBA star LeBron James, made a change in society by signing up over 10,000 volunteer poll workers, in its effort to fight against racist voter suppression. Researchers have found that the effect of socialization through sports has a very important effect in today’s society. The social effects of sports have been found to have an influence on personality development. Due to this, professional athletes such as LeBron James can use their platform to personally develop people, and in this case developing individuals to become more involved within the political election process.  

BrettBayne