When We All Vote’s 2024 Game Plan: The Role of Sports in Democracy

By: Gabriella Parker, Associate Director, Talent, Entertainment, and Sports Engagement

Sports has long been a vehicle for unity — athletes, teams, leagues, and the love of the game bring together people across race, ethnicity, gender, age, and political and ideological beliefs for a shared collective experience cheering for one common goal. Through its global impact, sports exposes fans to new traditions and cultures, creates a sense of camaraderie, and builds bridges across state lines, countries, and even hemispheres.

Why sports?

As a nonpartisan initiative, When We All Vote recognizes the power of sports. It’s a dynamic space that we have uniquely tapped into as we work to change the culture around voting, close the race and age voting gaps, and increase voter participation in every election. Historically, voter turnout has varied significantly by race, but within each racial group, gender gaps persist. While sports audiences are diverse across gender and race, we’ve seen that sports are a surefire way to reach men — especially Black men. Let’s look at the numbers:

• The gender gap is the widest among Black voters, where women have voted at higher rates than men consistently for the past 30 years.
• A 2023 U.S. sports fan survey found that 40% of avid sports fans are Hispanic, followed by 32% Black, and 29% white.
• Of those surveyed, 44% of men are avid sports fans, compared to 15% of women.

With nearly 40% of young men reporting never being contacted by an organization or a campaign, sports is a way to meet male voters where they are. That’s why When We All Vote partnered with some of the biggest players, teams, and brands to help fans make their voices heard at the stadium and the ballot box.

The 2024 Game Plan

In 2024, we got in the game early. When We All Vote showed up at major sporting events, like the NBA Summer League, Fanatics Fest, Orange Blossom Classic, WNBA games, and more.

NBA Finals stars Jayson Tatum, Dereck Lively II, Jrue Holiday, and Daniel Gafford shared why they are voting and encouraged fans to get registered to vote in a video that premiered right before Game 6 and reached more than 715,000 viewers.

Our Founder and Co-Chair Michelle Obama and Co-Chairs Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, and Megan Rapinoe released a video message 100 days before Election Day. And as we ramped up our on-the-ground volunteer program, thousands of people got the chance to hear from Stephen Curry in our training call.

When athletes speak up, fans pay attention. In September, Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum announced his role as When We All Vote’s newest Co-Chair in a video and called on fans to celebrate National Voter Registration Day by taking action. And much like how athletes never go without a game plan, players and coaches — including Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Harrison Barnes, Stefanie Dolson, Jaren Jackson, Jared McCain, Doc Rivers, and more — partnered with us on Vote Early Day to ensure their audiences had a plan to vote before Election Day.

Forty-four percent of men avidly tune in to watch their favorite games, and we don’t want to interrupt — that’s why When We All Vote partnered with teams to turn voters into MVPs through our sweepstakes program. After taking action with us, fans got tickets to see the Philadelphia 76ers vs. Milwaukee Bucks opening game, meet players, and get their jerseys signed. We brought the same energy courtside, with a VIP experience at the sold out Atlanta Dream vs. Chicago Sky game featuring a signed game ball, free airfare, and a free hotel stay.

Athletes and teams are ready to bring voting to their audiences, and so are the leagues, players unions, and organizations that they are a part of. More than 12 players joined the When We All Vote Soccer Collective to encourage their fans to participate in our democracy. And in 2024, When We All Vote relaunched Rally The Vote, a challenge bringing together 25 organizations across leagues to unite fans to participate in each and every election — with the Philadelphia 76ers taking home the trophy.

In 2024, When We All Vote was with voters every step of the way — which includes making sure fans had the perfect look at the ballot box. We teamed up with the Black woman-owned streetwear brand Playa Society, launching the Ciara-approved We Love To See Us Vote collab. Partnering with the NBPA and TUNL, When We All Vote worked with designer Desyrée Nicole to bring the “But Did You Vote?” capsule collection to inspire action and conversations around voter registration and participation. Making sure college voters could rep their favorite hoodies at the polls, JT Made That, the USC Trojan Women’s Basketball team, and When We All Vote created the “I Voted Hoodie.” No matter how sports fans showed up, When We All Vote made sure they had the gear to match.

So, what’s next?

Sports has become a powerful institution for change and movements. The relationship between athletes and the general public is a unique and cyclical one — where athletes inspire everyday people and everyday people inspire athletes. Athletes like LeBron James, Colin Kaepernick, Simone Biles, Megan Rapinoe, Nneka Ogwumike, Tommie Smith, and John Carlos have advocated for their communities on issues like racial equity, criminal justice reform, equal pay, mental health, and more. The intersection of sports and democracy is no different. In fact, democracy and civic engagement are at the center of each social justice issue and serve as a true and meaningful way to create systemic change.

Many would lead you to believe athletes should just “shut up and dribble,” and even go to great lengths to create backlash and suppress athletes’ voices. But we know that athletes are more than just their sport — they are their stories and experiences, struggles and triumphs, passions and interests, and most importantly, they are their communities. When We All Vote works with our sports partners for this reason. We believe in their power and their stories, and we tailor each and every campaign and opportunity to their unique perspectives.

Athletes have the reach to empower communities that would otherwise believe that their voices or their votes don’t matter. When a young person has his teachers and family encouraging him to register to vote, hearing from an athlete he admires could be the thing that helps him open up to taking that step to cast his very first ballot. His friends might follow his lead. And their votes could help determine what history is taught in schools, which voters have power through redistricting, and whether his high school finally gets the funding to update the building. This might sound like wishful thinking, but we all have a role to play in our democracy, and we must do this work together.

We know people get busy — especially traveling athletes. Last year, we worked with the NBA Rookie Transition program to register eligible players to vote and obtain absentee ballots so they could make their voices heard amidst a demanding game schedule. We hosted voter education sessions for Philadelphia 76ers players, Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Wings employees, and more. Calls to action for fans are far more powerful when the athletes, teams, and leagues are leading by example.

We encourage teams, leagues, unions, sports-focused organizations, and athletes alike to stand up and take action this year in your local elections, next year in the midterms, and beyond, by working with When We All Vote to register, educate, and empower your fans, employees, players, and coaches to vote. Join Rally The Vote, partner with us for your next big game, share our educational resources, and work with When We All Vote for all of your civic engagement needs. Change the issues you care about by making your voices heard at the ballot box this year and every year to come.