State Farm Arena workers take on polling place responsibilities for Election Day, amid COVID
When the NBA suddenly announced the suspension of its 2019-2020 season in mid-March, after Utah Jazz stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell confirmed that they had both tested positive for COVID-19, there were still five weeks remaining to play out the 82-game schedule — as well as the playoffs that were to begin April 18. Beyond upsetting millions of basketball fans, it seemed to pose a threat to the economic prospects of team and stadium employees around the U.S. In Atlanta, though, some of these staffers are still at work — and helping to solve a pressing Election Day problem.
"Thinking back on when all this transpired nobody knew much of anything. There were a lot of questions." Nick Darby, Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena guest engagement manager, told CBS News. "With the nature of our business and especially, you know, our department being customer service-focused, I think that everyone has kind of wondered what the impact would be to, not only our department, but the organization as a whole."
Darby, a full-time employee who has worked for the organization for three years, said his role is still intact and he's able to continue his guest engagement duties remotely. In addition to his job at the State Farm Arena, Darby has also picked up another unexpected responsibility: poll worker.
At the end of June, after a Georgia primary marred by controversy, Fulton County, Georgia's largest voting county and the Atlanta Hawks announced an unusual partnership that would transform Atlanta's State Farm Arena into Georgia's largest ever voting precinct. The arena, which opened for early voting on July 20 for Georgia's general primary runoff on August 11, will also open its doors in October when early voting begins for the general election. This will allow thousands of voters to cast their ballots for the upcoming election while maintaining CDC-recommended social distancing guidelines.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/state-farm-arena-workers-take-on-polling-place-responsibilities-for-election-day-amid-covid/