SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The San Francisco 49ers announced Tuesday that they're partnering with California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, the More Than a Vote organization and Levi's to make Levi's Stadium a voting center for the Nov. 3 election.
"Our partnership with Levi's Stadium and the 49ers is another touchdown for democracy this year," Padilla said in a statement. "The addition of voting venues that allow for social distancing are critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to be inspired by sports venues opening their doors for new and safe voting options this year and hope it inspires other teams to follow suit as the clock runs down on the November General Election."
Levi's Stadium will open for early voting on Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day with registered voters of Santa Clara County able to enter the SAP Tower atrium within the stadium to cast their vote or deposit a ballot. On Election Day, the stadium will open at 7 a.m. with voting open until 8 p.m. Parking is free for all voters across the street from the stadium. Levi's Stadium is one of 100 voting centers in Santa Clara County.
In addition to the partnership making Levi's a voting center, Niners players and staff have recorded public service announcements on voter registration, voting and the 2020 census, and the Niners have made Nov. 3 a paid company holiday so employees can vote and take advantage of voting-related volunteer opportunities.
"While 2020 has been a challenging year on so many fronts, I am sincerely encouraged by the increased dialogue and action amongst our staff that I have seen as a result of these trying times," 49ers CEO Jed York said in a statement. "We want to do all we can to empower the community and our employees to make their voices heard at the ballot box and we thank our partners on this initiative and the NFL for prioritizing this message nationwide."
Levi's Stadium is the 14th NFL stadium that has been announced as a polling location in this year's election.