CHARLOTTE, NC — Once again, the doors of Bank of America Stadium will be open to help the community.
The stadium will be used again as an early voting site this fall after being approved by the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections to serve as an early voting precinct this October.
The stadium will host 17 days of early voting, from Oct. 20 to Nov. 5. That 17-day span includes a game day, with the Panthers hosting the Buccaneers on Oct. 23. (The Panthers also had early voting and a game simultaneously in 2020).
The hosting is a continuation of the organization's efforts to increase participation in the democratic process.
In 2020, nearly 13,000 citizens used the facility to vote.
"We're excited to again work with the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections to offer our location as an early polling site for this year's election cycle," Carolina Panthers president Kristi Coleman said. "In 2020, we welcomed almost 13,000 people for early voting, and opening the venue again offers another opportunity to use our platforms to help educate, register, and mobilize voters in the Carolinas. This non-partisan effort aims to make the voting process as easy and convenient as possible for those in our community."
Having access to the stadium will help alleviate some of the MCBOE's logistical issues that come with the temporary closing of the County Library's uptown location. Also, the stadium provides proximity to public transportation, and parking vouchers are available for voters using the stadium, clearing one more hurdle for area voters.
The organization has previously opened the doors to the stadium as a public asset, such as in 2021, when the stadium served as a COVID-19 mass vaccination site.
The team also continues to push voter registration efforts in both North Carolina and South Carolina as part of an ongoing commitment to working with non-partisan groups to increase participation. You Can Vote will be on site to register voters at the next Charlotte FC match (Oct. 5 against Columbus) as well as the Panthers' next two home games (Oct. 9 against the 49ers and Oct. 23 against the Buccaneers).
For more information on the organization's "Your Vote Counts" efforts and links to voting information for both states, you can click charlottefootballclub.com/yourvotecounts.
EARLY VOTING SCHEDULE
— Early voting will begin at all sites on Thursday, Oct. 20 at 8 a.m. and will conclude on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 3 p.m.
— Weekday voting hours: 8 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
— Saturday voting hours (Oct. 22, Oct. 29, Nov. 5): 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
— Sunday voting hours (Oct. 23, Oct. 30): 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
