Overview
- The NBA left Nov. 3, Election Day, without any regular-season games after announcing the choice with its 2026-27 schedule to encourage fans and the basketball community to vote.
- All 30 teams played the night before and the league resumes on Wednesday, Nov. 4, with a 14-game slate that includes national windows such as an ESPN doubleheader.
- The pause was planned before the season and the league is using its website to provide voting information and urge people to make voting plans.
- The initiative began in the 2022 midterms and is documented in the NBA’s 2022-23 Social Impact Report, but the league has applied the pause inconsistently in later years.
- Broadcasters and teams adjusted national TV slots because Tuesday is normally a marquee NBA night, a shift that could affect viewership patterns and scheduling for future Election Day decisions.