From the sports field to the ballot box, Mark Freie brings us Behind the Ballot from a unique perspective: professional sports.
"A team is at its best when everyone does their part," says a message from Mike Conley from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
"So we want to remind you that your vote is your voice," says Josh Metellus of the Vikings.
And whether it's Conley, Metellus, or Napheesa Collier from the Lynx, Minnesota's professional sports teams want your voices to be heard this election.
Viridiana Arevalo Martinez is the DEI Community Engagement Coordinator for the Minnesota Twins and says talking about voting and elections can be difficult. That's where sports can step-in and help.
"I think what makes this a unique opportunity for us is that we can use sports as a common ground and common language," Martinez says. "So, it's basically our vehicle to be able to talk about voting and promote that civic responsibility."
The "Your Vote Matters" initiative includes the Minnesota Twins, Vikings, Wild, United and PWHL Frost. The PSA helps fans do things like find their polling place and register to vote.
Martinez says voting can be a sensitive topic and they're careful about the messaging.
"It's also fun because we get some of our players to do messaging and it might mean a lot for some of our fans to see their favorite player talk about why it's so important for them to use their voice and to vote," she says. "We really just want to be a piece of the puzzle to encourage people to get out there and use their voice."
The Minnesota Timberwolves have a Pack the Vote Night coming up on Monday with players wearing pro-voting pre-game warm ups.
The NBA will not have any games scheduled on Election Day itself in order to avoid being a distraction for fans.