GT Athletics Voting Initiatives Update

THE FLATS – With Election Day less than two weeks away, Georgia Tech athletics continues its efforts to promote voting among its student-athletes and community.

EARLY VOTING BEGINS AT McCAMISH PAVILION ON WEDNESDAY

As announced last month, McCamish Pavilion, the home of Georgia Tech men’s and women’s basketball, will serve as a polling location for this fall’s election cycle, beginning with early voting this week. McCamish will be open for early voting Wednesday-Friday of this week from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. each day.

Fulton County-registered voters can take advantage of the early voting period at McCamish Pavilion. Voters are encouraged to follow all public health recommendations regarding social distancing and face coverings. Click HERE for more details on early voting at McCamish.

In addition to early voting this week, McCamish will also serve as a polling location on Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 3) and for potential run-off elections on Tuesday, Dec. 1 and Tuesday, Jan. 5.

Georgia Tech student-athletes are among the Tech students serving as volunteers during voting at McCamish Pavilion. Thanks to efforts from Georgia Tech’s Student Government Association, the McCamish polling location will be staffed entirely by students on Election Day.

MORE THAN 95% OF TECH STUDENT-ATHLETES REGISTERED TO VOTE

As part of Georgia Tech athletics’ efforts to promote voter registration and non-partisan voter education among its student-athletes, more than 95% of student-athletes are registered to vote. The total includes several Tech teams with 100% of their student-athletes registered.

“I am proud and grateful of everyone within our department that led the charge to promote the importance of voting,” Georgia Tech director of athletics Todd Stansbury said. “Our student-athletes’ and staff’s passion and drive for this very important topic – beginning with the #AllVoteNoPlay initiative and continuing to voter registration drives and non-partisan voter education – is unparalleled. Their efforts will make a difference in our community and our country. Additionally, I’m confident that the tools that our Everyday Champion student-athletes develop by participating in the democratic process will play a role in them becoming leaders on their teams, on our campus and in life beyond sports.”

Student-athletes that have registered to vote will receive a bag tag with the interlocking GT logo and the phrase “Committed to Vote,” signifying their commitment to participating in their civic duty during the current election cycle.

GEORGIA TECH ATHLETICS A NATIONAL LEADER IN VOTING ADVOCACY

On June 4, Georgia Tech became the first collegiate athletics department in the nation whose teams committed to not hold mandatory athletic activities on Election Day to encourage student-athletes and staff to exercise their right to vote.

A group of Georgia Tech student-athletes and staff, led by men’s basketball student-athlete Malachi Rice, baseball student-athlete and Student-Athlete Advisory Board president Hugh Chapman and men’s basketball associate head coach Eric Reveno, chose to take the movement one step further and committed to trying to make Election Day a day off from mandatory athletic activities for NCAA student-athletes nationwide. Thanks in large part to the #AllVoteNoPlay campaign championed by Tech student-athletes and staff, the NCAA Division I Council announced on Sept. 16 that D-I student-athletes will be prohibited from participating in countable athletically related activities – including practice and competitions – on the first Tuesday after Nov. 1 every year.

In addition, Georgia Tech athletics has added expanded civic engagement programming to its renowned Total Person Program. The programming includes education on how to register to vote and how to access non-partisan voter information.

Alexander-Tharpe Fund

The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the A-T Fund’s Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes, and the Support The Swarm Fund, created to give fans an opportunity to help Georgia Tech athletics maintain its recent momentum through the financial challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic! To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.  

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