Nov. 04, 2020 (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – With both Nationals Park and the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy serving as voting centers for the 2020 election, our staff has stepped up to the plate to ensure Washingtonians can express the right to vote. We’re catching up with volunteers at both locations to hear about the sites, the traffic, and reflections on the overall voter experience.
Jordan Jones
Director of Business Operations, Youth Baseball Academy
Role on Election Day(s): Supervisor of facility operations at the Academy
Do you have any specific reflections on Nationals sites being used as civic resources?
It was an honor for the Academy to serve as a polling site for this historic Election Day. The Academy has continued to be nimble and flexible in order to service the needs of our community in response to the COVID19 pandemic. We have adapted and maintained academic and fitness programs for our Scholar Athletes and have stepped up our service as a food access hub for neighborhood residents. By adding the ability to become a polling site for our community members to perform their civic duty of voting just shows the length the Academy will go to service as a civic resource.
What has been your most memorable experience about being a part of Election Day operations at the Academy?
It was really special to see the D.C. Board of Elections convert our training room into a polling site. To see the space transform from a place where we have been able to educate our Scholar Athletes into a space where community members can have their voices heard and vote – that was a very proud moment.
In addition, it was awesome to see the smiles on voters and non-voters faces when they realized that the Academy was also serving free meals in partnership with World Central Kitchen through their #ChefsForThePolls initiative. Food access remains an issue in D.C. especially in Ward 7 and 8. To be able to help close that gap on Election Day was gratifying.
What happens next at the Academy?
No matter how the election turns out, our community knows we will stand with them and will continue to provide ongoing support. Next week we welcome our Scholar Athletes back for the continuation of our fall afterschool program. The Academy is always a hub of positive energy with our children here.
