Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders, has been recognized for its success as a polling location during the 2024 elections, according to a new report by the Harvard Kennedy School Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. The study, titled “Voting with the Las Vegas Raiders: The Impact of Allegiant Stadium as a Polling Location in 2024,” highlights the stadium’s role in expanding access to voting and engaging first-time and young voters.
“Allegiant Stadium is home to some of the biggest moments in football and entertainment in the country, and I’m proud we were able to open its doors and make voting a fun, accessible event for fans and our community,” said Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar. He expressed gratitude for the partnership between the Raiders and Clark County in executing a successful Election Day.
Sandra Douglass Morgan, President of the Las Vegas Raiders, emphasized the broader impact of the initiative. “Creating an opportunity to vote at Allegiant Stadium was about more than football – it was about giving Clark County voters a place to come together, make their voices heard, and celebrate the democratic process,” she said.
The report reveals that more than 4,200 Nevadans voted at Allegiant Stadium on Election Day, making it the most popular polling site in the state. Notably, 35% of these voters were casting a ballot for the first time, compared to just 20% elsewhere in Clark County. Additionally, voters at Allegiant were, on average, ten years younger than those at other locations.
Tova Wang, Director of Research Projects in Democratic Practice at the Ash Center, praised the Raiders’ efforts. “The Raiders demonstrated how professional sports teams can use their platform to strengthen democracy,” she said. “Allegiant Stadium provided not just a voting site, but a celebration of civic participation that brought in younger and first-time voters who might not otherwise have cast a ballot.”
The paper, co-authored by Wang and Michael Hanmer, Professor and Director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement at the University of Maryland, suggests that stadium voting offers a unique opportunity for sports franchises to engage with their communities in a nonpartisan way.
Scott Pioli, a former Super Bowl winner and NFL executive, has long advocated for stadium voting. “Sports can bring us together,” he said. “And in many ways, it can bring out the best in people. It can put people in circumstances and situations when they’re watching teams to think about the collective—the greater good and a greater goodness.”