OAKLAND, Calif. – The Oakland A’s are providing 3,000 KN95 masks and 1,300 pre-loaded Clipper cards to help ensure the most vulnerable Alameda County residents can vote safely in the 2020 General Election. The team is partnering with the Alameda County Health Care for the Homeless, AC Transit, Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), and social service agencies on the initiative.  

Beginning on Wednesday, Oct. 28 and through Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3, the masks and Clipper cards, each loaded with an AC Transit one-day local pass, are being distributed to residents of local shelters, RV sites, and homeless encampments in Alameda County. In partnership with the A’s, Alameda County Health Care for the Homeless, Bay Area Community Services, Downtown Streets Team, East Oakland Collective, and LavaMae are helping with the distribution. 

“We are proud to do our part to provide adequate PPE for unhoused citizens in our community,” said Oakland A’s President Dave Kaval. “We felt it was also important to ensure these residents can safely travel to Accessible Voting Locations by providing Clipper cards. We thank our incredible partners, Alameda County Health Care for the Homeless, AC Transit, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and a number of local social service agencies for their partnership and support.” 

“People experiencing homelessness face numerous barriers which limit their participation in the election process,” said Colleen Chawla, Director, Alameda County Health Care Services Agency. “We are teaming up with the Oakland A’s to ensure all people have a voice in shaping their future and the opportunity to get out and vote safely.”

“This year will be no ordinary election largely because COVID-19 has changed the way we cast our votes,” says Michael Hursh, AC Transit General Manager. “We have, however, confronted the challenge head-on: our entire bus fleet has retrofitted Bus Operator Shields, onboard facemasks and hand sanitizer dispensers, social distancing mandates, and contactless payment devices for Clipper Card. All of which ensures AC Transit will continue its 60-year tradition of getting East Bay voters to the polls.”

“MTC thanks the A’s for the opportunity to join the team ensuring vulnerable citizens can not only get out to vote, but can do so safely,” said Andrew Fremier, the Commission’s Deputy Executive Director for Operations. “We appreciate the work being done by many local social service agencies to distribute the Clipper cards and masks in order to encourage voting.”

In an effort to make sure all Alameda County residents have a safe and easily accessible voting option, the A’s also joined the California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, Alameda County, and the Coliseum Authority (JPA) to create the Coliseum Accessible Voting Location. The vote center, which opens on Saturday, Oct. 31 through Tuesday, Nov. 3, is open to all Alameda County residents. For more information, visit. athletics.com/vote.