From balls to ballots: Oakland Arena to host voting center

The Oakland Arena — formerly known as Oracle Arena — will serve as an accessible voting location starting next month, the Oakland A’s and Alameda County announced Monday.

In-person voting at the arena, the former home of the Golden State Warriors basketball team before they moved across the Bay to San Francisco last year, will run from Oct. 31 through Election Day on Nov. 3.

Along with in-person voting at the arena, the Oakland Coliseum site where the arena is located will also offer will call voting, curbside voting and drive-thru stops for those who prefer to drop off completed, signed and sealed mail-in ballots.

The site will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 31, Nov. 1 and Nov. 2, then from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Nate Miley, county supervisor and vice chair of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority, said:

“The A’s have stepped up in a big way – and hit another home run for Oakland and Alameda County. Partnering with the county to utilize the Coliseum as a voting hub is another example of our continuing collaboration, and reflects the A’s commitment to our community.”

While the Warriors no longer play in the Oakland Arena, the A’s are hosting playoff baseball games next door at the Oakland Coliseum starting with Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series at noon Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox.

If the A’s win the three-game series against the White Sox, they will play any other playoff series at neutral sites. Major League Baseball held a shortened 60-game season that ended Sunday and will begin an altered playoff format meant to limit the spread of Covid-19.