Oakland Arena Being Considered as Voting Site for 2020 General Election
The Oakland Arena, mostly unused in the age of the pandemic, may become a voting spot for Alameda County in the upcoming Nov. 3, 2020 general election.
It’s part of a general trend across the country where sports and entertainment venues are being made available for an election that is expected to have large turnout.
“The Arena is being considered as a possible voting site,” Henry Gardner, the executive director of the Coliseum Authority wrote Monday afternoon in a text. “The County and State will see if it meets their needs and can cover the direct costs.”
Gardner said a decision should be made one way or another in the next week.
The Oakland A’s, who play next door at the Coliseum, had been interested in have the Coliseum as a voting site, but the Arena, which is an indoor facility, seems to have been the choice between the two sites.
It’s part of a larger trend. Across the bay, the Golden State Warriors, the Arena’s former tenants, are working on converting their new home, Chase Center, into a voting locale.
In Southern California, Dodger Stadium, The Forum and the Staples Center all have signed on a voting sites in the Los Angeles area. With the NBA leading the charge, teams in Atlanta, Milwaukee and Detroit have worked to make their facilities available for the Nov. 3 election.
Follow Athletics insider John Hickey on Twitter: @JHickey3
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