Panthers, Hornets Venues Approved as N.C. Early-Vote Sites

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The venues for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and NBA’s Charlotte Hornets will be used as early in-person voting sites this fall in North Carolina.

Officials confirmed to Spectrum News 1 on Wednesday, the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections agreed to a list of 33 early-voting sites that include Bank of America Stadium, Spectrum Center, Bojangles' Coliseum.

Hornets President & Vice Chairman Fred Whitfield said in a statement, , “Hornets Sports & Entertainment is committed to doing our part in assisting our community with the electoral process."

"We are thrilled to host early voting at Spectrum Center, which provides a unique venue with significant space, as well as an opportunity for our HSE team members to volunteer and assist at the polls,” Whitfield continued.

Mecklenburg election officials, who approved the early-vote plan late Tuesday, expect heavy use of early voting options by county residents before Election Day on Nov. 3, whether they be mail-in absentee ballots or in-person voting. Large facilities with multiple entrances are considered desirable to avoid crowds. Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte also is on the list of approved sites. Polling site details still need to be worked out.

Early in-person voting begins statewide Oct. 15 and continues through Oct. 31.

The executive director of the State Board of Elections issued an emergency order last week telling county elections boards that they must operate one early voting site for every 20,000 registered voters within the county. That could require some counties to significantly increase their site totals. Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell said these and other changes are needed to avoid long lines and crowds at polling sites.




https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/charlotte/news/2020/07/23/panthers--hornets-venues-approved-as-n-c--early-vote-sites