Major League Baseball is moving 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 by relocating this year’s All-Star Game and MLB Draft,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box.”
The All-Star Game is one of the league’s premier events and the city of Atlanta will be losing out on a considerable financial gain. Past cities have seen as much as $60 million in economic boosts, according to data from the Baseball Almanac.
Discussions of moving the game surfaced after Georgia recently passed strict new voting laws, which critics say are designed to disenfranchise voters of color. The new law requires a photo ID in order to vote via absentee ballot, which more than 1.3 million Georgia voters used during the coronavirus pandemic. It also limited the locations for dropbox locations and limits the time voters have to request an absentee ballot.
The league has not yet announced a new host city but said the decision is in the process of being finalized. The All-Star Game is scheduled to take place on July 13 and will still pay tribute to baseball legend Hank Aaron.
Khristopher J. Brooks contributed reporting.