Major League Baseball moves the 2021 All-Star Game and 2021 draft out of Atlanta in response to Georgia’s controversial new voting law, the league announced Friday.
“I have decided that the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is to relocate this year’s All-Star Game and MLB concept,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and is against ballot box restrictions.”
The All-Star Game is one of the top events in the league, and the city of Atlanta will lose a significant financial gain. Previous cities have received as much as $ 60 million in economic boost, according to data from the Baseball Almanac.
Discussions about the movement of the game turned up after Georgia recently passed strict new voting laws, which critics say are designed to deny voters of color. The new law requires a photo ID to vote via an absentee ballot, which was used by more than 1.3 million Georgia voters during the coronavirus pandemic. It also limits the places for dropbox locations and limits the time that voters have to request an absent ballot.
The league has not yet announced a new host city, but said the decision is currently being finalized. The All-Star Game will take place on July 13 and will continue to pay tribute to baseball legend Hank Aaron.
Khristopher J. Brooks reported.