Charlotte's (NC) Spectrum Center might be used as early-voting polling place
The Charlotte Hornets and the city of Charlotte are in talks about providing Spectrum Center as an early polling place for the November election, per a source familiar with the discussions.
The uptown arena on Fifth Street would provide a massive space, allowing for social-distancing for voters, in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The facility is owned by the city and managed by the Hornets. It has not been used for public events since the NBA paused its season March 11.
The Hornets would become the fourth NBA team providing facilities for voting in the upcoming election cycle, joining the Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons and Sacramento Kings.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because plans are still being finalized, said Spectrum Center is not being considered as an election-day polling place on Nov. 3.
One of the hurdles for the upcoming election is providing for voter safety in the COVID-19 pandemic. Spectrum Center, with a basketball seating capacity of 19,077, is one of the larger public indoor spaces in Charlotte, along with the Convention Center and Bojangles Coliseum on Independence Boulevard.
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article244299112.html#storylink=cpy