PHOENIX — Voters will be able to cast their ballots at two well-known Arizona destinations this November.
The Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury announced they secured the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, also known as the Madhouse on McDowell, as a voting center and early voting ballot drop location.
According to the Arizona State Fair, drop box and voting location hours for the Coliseum are:
- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 31 for drive-through drop box
- 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 1 for drive-through drop box
- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 2. for drive-through drop box
- 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 2 for in-person voting
- 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 3 for in-person voting and drive-through drop box
The Arizona Coyotes announced that Gila River Arena will also serve as a vote center and early ballot drop off location for voters.
The Maricopa County Elections Department said in-person voting would be available until Nov. 3.
The team said the arena would be open from Oct. 28 to Nov. 3 and there would be free parking for Maricopa County voters.
"Voters can expect physical distancing and safety protocols in alignment with CDC guidelines in collaboration with the Maricopa County Department of Public Health," the Coyotes said.
Voters who need to drop off their early ballots can also do so at Gila River Arena.
The Phoenix Suns used to play at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum and the Phoenix Mercury were set to play their 2020 home games there before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Both teams had played at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in downtown Phoenix, which is undergoing renovations and will not be ready in time for the election.
A task force including the Suns' Managing Partner Robert Sarver and stars Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges has been working "to establish a broad reaching voter engagement initiative" for the November election, the teams said.
The teams said the task force worked closely with Gov. Doug Ducey, Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and the Arizona State Fair Board to establish the coliseum as a voting center location "that can be set up to provide safe and socially distanced voting."
The teams did not specify exactly how the coliseum would be set up to meet that goal.
All Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury employees will also be able to volunteer as poll workers at polling locations throughout Maricopa County.
Go to 12News.com/PlanYourVote for more election-related information.
