Timberwolves and Lynx Tipoff National Voter Education Week with Pack the Vote Initiative
October 3, 2022 – Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) – Minnesota Lynx News Release
Minneapolis/St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx today tipped off National Voter Education Week with its Pack the Vote initiative aimed at addressing the barriers to voter education and access within the Black community. This year, the Timberwolves and Lynx have teamed up national and local organizations including When We All Vote, I am a voter.®, Urban League Twin Cities and the League of Women Voters Minneapolis.
“When we launched Pack the Vote in 2020, the focus was on providing nonpartisan education and resources for Minnesotans and our fans across the country,” said Timberwolves and Lynx Vice President of Social Responsibility John Thomas. “As Pack the Vote evolves, we are beginning to create an intentional focus of identifying barriers to voter entry. These barriers are often disparities related to socioeconomic status – health and wellness, transportation to and from polling places and general access to voter resources. We are committed to building a more equitable society and that begins with making sure everyone’s voice is heard.”
As part of Pack the Vote programming, the Timberwolves and Lynx will host two community voter education events to encourage conversation and civic engagement.
On Sunday, Oct. 9, the organization will host a community event at the Urban League Twin Cities parking lot. Participants are encouraged to stop by Urban League (2100 Plymouth Avenue N, Minneapolis, Minn.) between 1:00-3:00 p.m. to learn how to register to vote. Crunch and Prowl will join the festivities with music provided by DJ SOTA. The event will include food provided by HEAL Mpls, a North Minneapolis community café, specialty cookies from Sweet Troo-Vi, co-founded and owned by Lynx Assistant Coach Rebekkah Brunson, family games, Pop-A-Shot and more.
On Sunday, Oct. 30, the organization will be across from the Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services Center (980 E Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, Minn.) from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. to encourage all to get out and vote.
Key Voter Dates:
Minnesota Voter Register in Advance Deadline: Oct. 18th
National Vote Early Day: Oct. 28th
Minnesota Early Voting Ends: Nov. 7th
Election Day: Nov. 8th
New this season, the NBA announced it would not schedule any games on Nov. 8 (Election Day) as part of a league-wide effort to amplify civic engagement. All 30 teams will play on Nov. 7, the night before the midterm elections and will use the night to encourage fans to get out and vote.
Fans can register to vote and utilize the following resources at the Timberwolves and Lynx Pack the Vote website at: www.timberwolves.com/vote.
Voter Registration Portal: An online portal to assist Timberwolves and Lynx fans across the country to register to vote in their respective states, not limited to Minnesota. To access the online portal and register to vote, please click here.
Pack The Vote Website: The Pack the Vote website provides fans with access to voter education, facts, resources, and instructions on how to volunteer at polling sites on Election Day via Power the Polls, as well as access to the voter registration portal. To view the Pack the Vote website, please click here.
Text Service: Fans can text the word “PACK” to 26797 to register to vote, check their registration status and receive reminders leading up to the election.
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx launched Pack the Vote two years ago to provide the Twin Cities and communities across the country nonpartisan voter education, voter resources and assistance with digital and in-person voter registration options for the 2020 United States Presidential election. Pack the Vote continues to support nonpartisan programming and has evolved to address socioeconomic disparities that often impact voter outcomes. Disparities such as health and wellness, transportation to and from polling places, and general access to voting materials.
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