Why did MLB move the All-Star game? League takes stance on controversial Georgia voting law
Major League Baseball is taking a stand on voting rights.
On Friday, the league announced that the 2021 MLB All-Star Game and the 2021 MLB Draft, both slated to take place in Atlanta, have been moved from the state of Georga. A new host city for this season’s All-Star festivities has yet to be announced.
MLB says the decision is based on Georgia’s new voting rights bill, which has been criticized from President Joe Biden on down. MLB released a statement on Friday regarding the decision:
Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box. In 2020, MLB became the first professional sports league to join the non-partisan Civic Alliance to help build a future in which everyone participates in shaping the United States. We proudly used our platform to encourage baseball fans and communities throughout our country to perform their civic duty and actively participate in the voting process. Fair access to voting continues to have our game’s unwavering support.
We will continue with our plans to celebrate the memory of Hank Aaron during this season’s All-Star festivities. In addition, MLB’s planned investments to support local communities in Atlanta as part of our All-Star Legacy Projects will move forward. We are finalizing a new host city and details about these events will be announced shortly.
While no new location has been set, a new host will be announced soon.
Here’s what you need to know:
Why did MLB move the All-Star Game?
Major League Baseball took a hard stance on Georgia’s controversial new voting rights law, opting to move the 2021 All-Star Game and 2021 Draft, both originally scheduled for Atlanta.
In March, Georgia lawmakers signed into action the new voting rights bill, which, among other things, tightens restrictions on mail-in ballots and access to those ballots.
The bill sparked outrage among local businesses and civil rights groups, eventually spawning lawsuits arguing that the bill is unconstitutional. Many view the bill as an attempt by Georgia lawmakers to suppress voter turnout in the state.
Rob Manfred announced that investments to support local communities in Atlanta will proceed as planned, and a new host should be selected soon.
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