NBA Goes Dark on Election Day to Promote the Midterm Vote

The NBA scheduled no games on Tuesday, November 3, the day of the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, for the fourth time in five years, to encourage fans and the broader NBA community to vote.

The league said holding games would interfere with in-person voting, since the first polls close on the East Coast at 6 p.m. ET, and it published voting resources including polling-site and registration information.

Each team played Monday, November 2, with players wearing “VOTE” T-shirts, turning the final pre-election slate into a get-out-the-vote event. The league returns Wednesday, November 4, with 14 games.

The NBA's election-night tradition began as part of a broader civic-engagement push, and it has since been adopted in spirit by other leagues and teams. Critics of sports activism have questioned the practice, but the league has held to it, arguing that voting access outweighs one night of games.

For fans, Tuesday offers a rare midweek night without NBA basketball — and, the league hopes, a clearer path to the polls. The action resumes Wednesday with a full slate, including several marquee matchups.