ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The 2022 midterm elections are right around the corner, and the Broncos are ensuring that the players have all the tools they need to be informed voters.
On National Voter Registration Day, the Broncos hosted an event designed to give players an opportunity to learn about the upcoming general election in Colorado, check their voter registration status and even register to vote on the spot.
The team hosted the Community Resource Center's chief program officer, Rebecca Gorrell, and chief operating officer Tammy Mulligan to provide an overview of voter registration and discuss how their organization aims to make voting more accessible as part of the Colorado Participation Project. They talked to the players about the importance of voting and how it can impact their communities.
Following this discussion, Peg Perl, deputy director of elections for Arapahoe County, provided a step-by-step walkthrough of how to vote in the upcoming election. She outlined the processes of sending mail-in ballots, voting in person and finding information about candidates and ballot issues.
Several Broncos players attended the event and were active participants, coming away with a deeper understanding of the voting process and how they can be involved.
Outside linebacker Bradley Chubb came to the session, and the organizers helped him check online to confirm his voter registration status. After the event, Chubb praised the Colorado Participation Project for the work it does to encourage voting and make voter registration more accessible.
"[People] don't vote because they feel like, 'Oh, I'm just another person in the system,' stuff like that, but it really matters to hear that they go through the process of doing it the right way," Chubb said. "It makes you want to be involved and get more people to vote."
Chubb learned the importance of voting from his mother, Carmen Chubb, who served as the chief of staff to former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Throughout his mother's career in public policy, Chubb has been exposed to how individuals can create change by electing leaders and voting on crucial issues.
"She'd always be on my head about voting, make sure I'd vote and look up the issues and stuff that's going on out here," Chubb said. "Ever since she was working with [Bottoms], I feel like I took a keen [interest in] understanding what was going on in my community."
Chubb noted that he was proud to see many of his teammates attend the session to get more information about the voting process. As a professional athlete, he recognizes the power they have to inspire their fans and communities to follow their lead.
"It's good to see," Chubb said. "They're helping their communities even if they're not in Colorado, just wherever they're from, and hopefully [they'll] relay the message out there."
Outside linebacker Randy Gregory also joined Tuesday's session. Gregory has never voted before, but he registered for the first time after the session. Gorrell walked him through the process, and in under two minutes, he was registered to vote.
"It feels good," Gregory said after registering. "Obviously it's a process I've never been through before, so it's all new to me. … I'm a big procrastinator, so I've been holding this off for a while now, and it's just exciting to get involved."
Gregory said he decided to register to vote on National Voter Registration Day because the information and resources the Broncos provided made it simple and stress-free.
"I don't think, looking back on it, I had … the opportunities like I do here, where it's just kind of presented in front of me," Gregory said. "We have a day to come in, on an off day, so just seeing that and being able to take that opportunity, I felt like it was a good time to do it. Seeing the landscape of the world and how it's been since I turned 18, how much has changed, it makes sense for me to get involved."
Members of Broncos Country will also soon have a convenient opportunity to register to vote. In partnership with the Denver Election Division, the Broncos will host the Denver County Voter Coach Mobile Voting Unit at Empower Field at Mile High (Lot J) on Friday, Nov. 4 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 5 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Mobile Voting Unit is a Voter Service and Polling Center (VSPC) and is ADA accessible. Eligible voters will be able to check registration status, register to vote and even cast or drop off a completed ballot on-site.
