Washington, D.C. – Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE) and HeadCount have seen impactful results from their multiyear collaboration to encourage fans of the Washington Wizards, Mystics and Capitals and concertgoers attending shows at Capital One Arena to register to vote and take civic action. Tens of thousands of people have engaged with the initiative through more than 150 games and concerts. The partnership net over 3,000 individual civic actions, which included checking voter registration status, finding polling locations, tracking ballot submissions, contacting lawmakers, and registering to vote. In all, hundreds were registered to vote because of this work.
The voting initiative with HeadCount, the nonpartisan, nonprofit voter registration organization, began in the summer of 2022 with the Mystics annual game at Capital One Arena and select Mystics games at the Entertainment & Sports Arena. Efforts continued for the entire 2022-23 Wizards and Capitals seasons, including concerts and events at Capital One Arena. HeadCount representatives were stationed at high-traffic tabling locations from the moment doors opened to capture fans on their way to seats and concessions.
MSE and its teams have long championed civic participation and remain committed to encouraging DC, Maryland, and Virginia residents to join in their efforts. The Mystics have held voter registration drives at their community events, used their social media platforms to remind fans of the importance of voting and players volunteered at the HeadCount voter registration table ahead of the midterm election. At their Vote Night game this past season, the Wizards debuted custom ‘DMV Votes’ shooting shirts – becoming the first in NBA to emphasize voting in pregame warm-ups. The Capitals launched a voting hub featuring election information by state and used their social media platforms to encourage fans to exercise their right to vote.
During the 2020 election cycle, Capital One Arena served as an early voting location, a ballot drop-off location and an in person, Election Day voting site. The Entertainment & Sports Arena also served in the same capacity. Nearly 4,500 people voted in-person at Capital One Arena and Entertainment & Sports Arena during Early Voting and on Election Day – with thousands more who used the secure drop boxes at both arenas.
As local residents in Virginia participate in primary elections today, MSE reminds fans that the best way to create change in their community is to get out the vote.
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About Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Monumental Sports & Entertainment is America’s leading sports and entertainment family. Our people, players, teams, and events bring excitement and joy to millions. We invest and innovate to consistently raise the game so we can deliver extraordinary experiences that will inspire and unite our community, our fans, and our people. To learn more, please visit www.monumentalsports.com.
About HeadCount
HeadCount is a non-partisan non-profit organization that harnesses the power of music, culture and digital media to register voters and inspire participation in democracy. Since 2004, we’ve registered over one million voters through our work with musicians like Ariana Grande, Camila Cabello, Dave Matthews Band, JAY-Z and Dead & Company, and brands like Spotify, Ben & Jerry’s and GrubHub. Our award-winning online campaigns have been seen over a billion times, while our 50,000 volunteers can be seen at more than 1,000 live events each year. We reach young people where they already are – at concerts and online – to inform and empower.
