Major League Baseball (MLB) has moved its 2021 All-Star game out of Atlanta, Ga., following Georgia’s new restrictive voting legislation.
The new voting law consists of a few controversial points: reduced amount of time for voters to request absentee ballots, strict ID requirements for absentee ballots, a limit on the number of ballot drop boxes, an increase in how much control state lawmakers have over county and local elections and a ban on handing out food and water within 150 feet of a polling location.
The MLB released the news of the relocation for the All-Star game to the public on April 2 and have since said the game will be held in Denver, Colo. at Coors Field. The announcement from MLB commissioner, Rob Manfred, was delivered after days of lobbying from civil rights groups and discussions with stakeholders such as the MLB Players Association.
Manfred released a statement explaining the motive behind the league’s decision to move the game. “Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box,” he said. Manfred went on to say that this decision best represents the league’s values.
The Georgia legislature passed the new voting regulations on March 25, 2021. The passing of the law caused an uproar on both a statewide and national level, with big corporations such as Coca-Cola and Delta speaking out against the law.
Senior CJ Ragins has been following the recent legislation as well as the developing outrage online. “I feel that it could be beneficial if more corporations decided to take the step forward and speak out against the law similar to what the MLB did,” he stated.
The All-Star game was planning to honor Hank Aaron, a baseball legend from the Atlanta Braves, in Atlanta, and the MLB has stated they will follow through with the plan to honor Aaron at the new location in Colorado.
While fans appreciate the decision to still have an honorary ceremony, some fans, including junior baseball player Ryan Thoreson, are questioning why the league chose to move the game to Denver. “It would have made sense to move it to Milwaukee or Kansas City, where the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is located, to honor Hank Aaron because those sites honor minority players,” stated Thoreson.
While some fans may be upset with the decision to move the All-Star game due to a political reason, most fans are just happy to have a game at all this year after missing out on last year’s festivities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.