Every NBA team is playing on election eve

The NBA took the unprecedented step of suspending all games for Election Day 2022, though there were no games in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the start of the regular season.

In the 2020 election, many NBA teams made their arenas available as centers for voting or voter registration. 

When the NBA announced the election move, they wrote, "The scheduling decision came out of the NBA family's focus on promoting nonpartisan civic engagement and encouraging fans to make a plan to vote during midterm elections."

Tonight's games will tip off at a staggered, 15-minute-apart schedule, beginning with the Wizards and Hornets at 7 p.m. ET, and finishing with a 10:30 ET tip-off for the Cavaliers at Clippers. Along the way, the NBA will be maxing out its referee resources, with three-official crews working every game and the replay center in Secaucus using all 15 of its workstations.

Along with encouraging voter participation with information and get-out-the-vote PSAs, this night should also drive audiences to the league's new app. There are no national telecasts outside of NBA TV and League Pass, and the games will all stream free on the NBA App. 

Much like their decision to stream games by Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson, the NBA is giving away content in order to drive engagement. And once users get the app, maybe they want to buy League Pass or a jersey or place a bet with one of the league's partners.

 On Nov. 8, the NBA wants all its fans to sport an "I VOTED" sticker. And they want all their fans' phones to sport the NBA App.